Gifts
by Jedexa
Summary: The "first" Niwa had always had a talent for stealing... But there was only one person who had ever been able to steal something from HIM. The origins of the great phantom thief Dark begins with a little orphan boy and girl named Angel. *A gift for a friend of mine, with some basis in Volume 13 of DNAngel. This is sort of a prelude to the events of DNAngel.
1. Beginnings

A/N: Hi! I know it's been a LOOONG while since I've posted anything... I'm very sorry for that!! I've been... roleplaying and doing art and stuff... so... sorry! I know it's no excuse... but I also have been considering rewriting a lot of my stuff. Life is a confusing mess right now, so I don't have much time for anything!

Anyway, so two weeks ago me and my partner Kenny had our one-year anniversary for our roleplay. It was kinda fun XD. The day before I had started writing this story and I didn't even realize it was the anniversary. I didn't think it would take TWO WEEKS! Wow. I cried while writing some parts, mainly the end. A little note: Angel is a character from my roleplay with my sister, waaay back when. She was different from this one, and had no romantic interest in Dark. How the times have changed, huh? As for Access... not only is he needed for the plot, he was cute. That's the only reason he was created (based off of Access from Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne X3).

For some reason I'm not completely satisfied with the 54 pages I wrote... Something's missing :/ I just can't figure out what...

Disclaimer: I do not own DNAngel or any other mentioned materials. The vague relation to this story is enough for me to disclaim it right? Rated M for some adult implications and death... kinda. Sorry in advanced for splitting up the chapters weirdly!

**GIFTS**

He was only four years old when his father died. His mother just couldn't handle it, and found comfort in the arms of another man, delusional in her emotionally shattered state. It was soon after his father's accident that his mother left him and his newborn baby brother in the care of the church nuns to run off with this man.

He never saw her again.

Despite the good treatment of the nuns, he was never satisfied with just what they gave him. Before his brother even turned two years old, he had begun to find joy in taking things that didn't belong to him, ignoring the nuns' teachings about how it was a sin and forgetting what his mother had told him about how immoral it was. There was a certain level of challenge involved that he became addicted to, and he had mastered all kinds of techniques by himself before he turned six years old. Besides… he needed to defy his mother, even if she wasn't there. She always did say, "Never steal, because it makes you a bad person." For all he cared, everything she had ever said about character was two faced. After all, hadn't she stolen his right to a mother when she decided to not be one?

However, the things he stole were never for himself. On many occasions, he gave the bread or the toys or the clothes he "found" to the other orphanage kids. He felt a bit sorry for them, since all of their parents were dead. He knew his mother was still alive, and it made his blood boil to think about it. In time he would forget her completely.

He had never been caught. Stealing little trinkets and picking pockets just wasn't enough of a challenge, though.

So one day, he decided to target the richer part of Munich, Germany.

* * *

His small feet maneuvered through the crowd of gargantuan adults easily, ducking under their legs and slipping through the small cracks in their walking patterns. He looked around for something to steal, acting like a lost little boy.

And then he saw it. On a street less crowded than others was a small jewelry store. It was well built and it looked hard to get into. It was perfect.

He snuck up to the front doors, slipping inside. It took a while for anybody to notice him, his eyes gleaming as he took in the sight of the glittering gold and shining silver. His tiny hands were clenching and unclenching in excitement, ready to move.

And then he snatched an expensive looking pendant from the glass counter. The man behind it noticed right away, his eyes widening.

"Hey, get back here!" He shouted as the little thief darted out the door. "Somebody catch him!"

The boy glanced behind him with one thought. _Oh shit._ He ran faster, clutching the necklace in one hand and pushing his way back onto the street with the other.

Not looking where he was going, he ran straight into someone of about the same height. They both crashed to the ground, but the boy scrambled to his feet. His violet purple eyes met deep indigo ones, but he only had a glimpse of the girl before his feet automatically ran off again, hearing the shouts of the jewelry store owner.

He heard little cries, and looked over his shoulder to see the little dark-haired girl be picked up by the jewelry man, who had stopped to take care of her. Babyish tears ran down her chubby pink cheeks as the man stroked her hair and muttered soothing things to her, glaring in the direction where the thief had run.

The boy looked forward again and kept running, a little regret rising in his stomach.

* * *

"Emil! Where have you been? Access has been crying for you all morning."

"Sorry, Sister Natalia… I was playing with my friends." The boy lied smoothly, taking the two year old boy from the older woman.

"He's your responsibility, Emil. We'll help you with him, but you can't just go off on your own without telling anyone. He needs you." Sister Natalia put her hands on her hips, scolding him.

"I know." Emil said softly, cradling his brother with some difficulty. He was only six years old, but he did know.

"Next time let us know, okay?" Sister Natalia sighed, going off to pray. "Don't be late for mass tomorrow."

"Yeah, okay." Emil sighed, going to his room. He put Access on the bed. "Sorry, little buddy. Did you miss me? I went to get something cool today." He grinned, holding up the gold pendant. Access didn't understand much of what he was saying, but he still talked to him. After all, Access was his only family.

Access gurgled something delightedly, reaching out to bat the necklace. Emil laughed. "Yeah, it's awesome, huh? But I have to sell it. Get some money, actually buy some food, you know? I saw some cakes the other day that looked really good… But you can't really steal those and have them taste good. The ones on display, they're really stale, you know?" He ruffled Access' short, dark red hair, the same color as his.

He watched Access play with the trinket, holding it so he wouldn't bite it and break his baby teeth or anything. His mind wandered, however, to the navy-haired girl from the street… and her tears…

"Mom always did say you should never make a girl cry, huh? Geez…" Even after her disappearance, the redheaded orphan still listened to her advice.

* * *

After mass the next morning, Emil went to the local trader and gave him the necklace, gaining a good sum of money for it. The next thing he did was go to the local seamstress.

After his daily rounds of getting clothes and food for the orphan kids and dropping it off, he headed off again. This time… he went back to the upper-class street.

He looked around, hoping nobody would recognize him from the previous day. As he approached the street the jewelry store was on, he noticed that it seemed more empty than usual. Then again, it was a Sunday, and most people were off to church.

Maybe she wouldn't be there, then… He thought with a little melancholy.

And then he saw, sitting in the shadow of an alley between the jewelry store and another building, the short-haired girl drawing circles in the dirt and playing jacks with herself. Now that he got a good look at her, he could see that she was no older than himself, maybe younger.

Actually… she looked like… a tiny angel…

She looked up when she saw his shadow. She blinked, tilting her head. "Ah! You're that boy from yesterday." She squeaked in her high-pitched voice, standing up.

Emil shuffled his feet, his hands behind his back. "Sorry about that… I didn't mean to push you…" He apologized quietly. He stared at her. She didn't seem very afraid.

"Oh. That's okay. It just hurt a bit. But I'm fine now!" She gave a cute little grin, coming out into the sunlight. "What are you doing here?"

Emil bit his lip, looking away as he took his hand from behind his back and handed her a cute, rabbit-like plush toy that had red tips on its ears. "Here, this is for you."

The girl's face lit up as she took the toy, hugging it close to her and nuzzling it affectionately. "Wow! It's so cute! Thank you!"

"You're welcome." Emil gave his own grin, glad that she was smiling. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at mass?"

"I could ask you the same thing." She giggled, "Daddy said I didn't have to go today, so I'm playing here. Want to play with me?"

"Um… sure, I guess." Emil shrugged, "I'm Emil."

"Angel."

Emil blinked. _Angel?_ That tugged at his mind, but he shrugged it off. He sat down and played jacks with Angel, feeling, for once, a little free. He hadn't sat down to play anything for a long time. This felt nice.

"So why did you take daddy's necklace? Daddy got mad yesterday."

"Well… because… I needed to? My brother and my friends at the orphanage need food and stuff." Emil shrugged. For some reason, he couldn't lie to this girl.

She tilted her head, her pig tails bouncing next to her ears. "Or… far… egg? Oh… fan edge?" She tried to pronounce it, with much difficulty.

"Orphanage… it's that place for kids with no parents." Emil blinked. She didn't know? Oh, well, of course she didn't. She had her parents.

"Ooh… so you don't have a mommy and a daddy?" Angel asked curiously, earning a shake of the head. "Eh? Really?" A nod. "Oh… Sorry."

"It's no problem." Emil shrugged, "Sorry I stole from your dad's store, by the way."

"What's 'stole'?" Angel asked naively, tilting her head in a cute way.

"Um… stealing is when you take things that don't belong to you." Emil explained, shrugging.

"Ooh… but daddy says taking things that aren't yours makes you a bad person, because if you take things from other people, someone is sad or they lose something important to them."

"Yeah, that's what my mom used to say too…"

"But you're not such a bad person."

Emil blinked. That was… unexpected. "Eh?"

"Well, you came back to apologize and you gave me this cute toy." Angel grinned, cuddling her rabbit doll. "I don't think you're bad. I think you're really nice."

"Err… gee, thanks, I guess." Emil suddenly felt bashful, rubbing the back of his head.

"Hey, let's be friends, okay? We'll be good friends!" Angel said with a little giggle.

"Huh? Oh… okay…" Emil seemed perplexed by her friendly manner. She was so fearless….

"Can you play with me tomorrow too? And you said you had a brother right? Can I meet him?"

"Well, yeah, I guess, but he can't really walk or anything… you'd have to come down to the orphanage…" Emil said dumbly.

"Really? Okay! Where is it? I'll visit sometime!"

"Eh? S-sure…" She talked really fast… Emil found it hard to keep up. Her attention span seemed to be very short, as she changed subjects a lot. "It's…"

"Angel? Where are you?"

"Oh, hi daddy! Over here!" Angel stood up wand waved, blinking when Emil shot up.

"Wait a minute, your dad…?!"

"Yes… I said daddy told me I didn't have to go, didn't I? That didn't mean he was leaving me alone here." She giggled a bit.

"Sorry, got to go then. Don't tell anyone you saw me, okay? I'll come tomorrow." Emil quickly ran down the alley, "Bye!"

Angel looked a bit sad and confused, but she waved. "Bye bye, Emil!"

After he disappeared into the shadows, her father appeared behind her. "Angel? Who were you talking to?" He crouched down next to her, "Where did you get that toy?"

"A new friend." Angel bit her tongue. That was all he needed to know. "I can keep it, right? Please, daddy?" She looked up at her father with big, sparkling blue eyes.

"Well, sure, why not?"

* * *

"I saw an angel today."

Sister Natalia chuckled. "Really now?"

Emil nodded. "Yeah. She was really pretty." He said as he helped Sister Natalia clean the dishes from dinner, standing on a stool to be able to reach. "No, wait, I saw her yesterday."

"How cute." Sister Natalia smiled kindly, "What was her name, child?"

"Angel. She said her name was Angel. Can she come here sometime?" Emil asked, though he knew he'd take Angel to the orphanage anyway.

Sister Natalia blinked. "Well of course. I'd like to meet this angel." She still smiled.

* * *

The next day and the next, Emil kept visiting Angel. He played with her, and learned that she didn't have any friends. She came from a rich family, and her parents, being hard working citizens, didn't attend any parties or gatherings for her to meet other children of the same class. But she didn't mind, she liked hanging out with Emil. She dragged the rabbit plush he had given her around with her everywhere, even naming it Marron. Emil even occasionally brought her some treats like he would bring the orphans, candies and cakes and those sorts of things.

He visited her every day for a few weeks, and then took her to visit the orphanage a few times. She got to meet Access, and every other orphan. They ranged from babies to adolescents, every one of them dressed in nice rags. Angel was surprised by their poverty, and decided that she would help them out. She asked her parents to donate, even taking them down to see the orphans themselves. The poor things were pathetic. Of course, her parents were shocked by her sudden interest in philanthropy, but they didn't protest, gladly donating to the orphans.

Emil found it comforting to be in Angel's presence. She was like his mother in the far and distant past, when she used to tuck him in at night and read him stories. Angel didn't do that, but the effect was the same… She made him feel free and safe. She made him feel like he didn't have any responsibilities, like he wasn't an orphan, like he didn't have a stolen away life.

She helped him take care of Access, bringing him toys and candies. She was an angel to the young boy, saving him from things he was too young to handle. And she didn't even know it.

He could never figure out how he would ever repay her.

All the gifts in the world would never do. He could steal absolutely everything for her and give her the sky, and it still wouldn't be enough.

* * *

"So what's your family name, Emil?" Angel asked as they sat on a bench in the local park playground, eating the cake Emil had brought. They were talking about names, of course. Angel's family bore the name of a famous jeweler, of course, known in Germany for generations.

"Niwa." Emil answered simply, not caring to explain the history behind it like Angel did.

"Ni… wa…? What an odd surname. It sounds foreign. Like mine. Angel is English, for 'angel' of course. My mommy is teaching me!" Angel said as she leaned over, looking closely at Emil's face.

He flinched, leaning back. "What are you doing?"

"Now that I think about it… you look kind of foreign too." The young blue-haired girl mused, "Your eyes are really sharp. A little slanted, like those people from the east."

"Well, gee, thanks. Girls like that, right?" Emil grinned casually, chuckling slightly nervously.

"Silly." Angel rolled her eyes. "So what does Niwa mean? It's an eastern name right?"

Emil shrugged. "I don't really know… my dad died before he could teach me a lot of Japanese, but I think it means 'two of myself'… or was it 'red wings'? I can't remember…"

"Wooow, that sounds cool! So your dad was Ja… Jar… Jabe…"

"Japanese. You know, that island that opened up a few years ago? Japan?" Emil shrugged again, "But yeah. My dad came over here from Japan. He was going to go to that island to the north, but he met mom and married her and then decided to stay here." He sighed a bit, recalling the time he asked his dad about his origins.

Angel blinked, seeing how forlorn her friend had become. Her lips pursed, realizing that she had, perhaps, touched on a sensitive subject. She thought for a moment, then, hoping to brighten the mood, asked, "Have you ever been to Japan?"

The redhead boy blinked, looking over. "Um… no…"

Angel grinned broadly. "Let's go, then! We'll go to Japan!"

"Eh? But…" How unexpected…

"I bet it will be beautiful… it's an island right? It must have a lot of water… Oh, I've never seen the sea… I can't wait! I've never been on a boat either! Or out of the town!" Angel went on excitedly, "Come on! When we grow up, we'll go together! Okay?" Angel had that sweet, innocent look on her face, the one that showed she just had good intentions. Emil couldn't help but smile softly.

"Okay. We'll go… together."


	2. End of One

Their friendship was strong for over two years. Nothing in their little routine changed. He would visit her, she would visit him… It was because of her that Emil smiled a real smile for the first time in years. Of course, he still picked the pockets of people in her neighborhood.

And then one day, Emil saw her come into the orphanage like she usually would, led to the lobby by Sister Natalia like she always was. But this time… this time her head was bowed, her hair veiling her eyes. And there was something else, as well. It was morning. She never visited this early in the morning.

"Everybody, you remember little Angel, right? Please be kind to her." Sister Natalia announced, putting a hand on the seven-year-old girl's back, ushering her forward gently. Emil found that strange, since Sister Natalia never announced Angel's arrival before.

It hit him quickly when he realized why, noticing how drooped her shoulders were and how tightly she was clutching her doll.

After Sister Natalia left, he and Access went up to her as everybody went back to their normal activities.

"Ange? 'S ev'rything okay?" Access asked in a small voice. He touched her hand. She had been like a big sister to him… he had known nothing else but the orphanage and his two older siblings.

"Angel…" His eight-year-old brother said softly, noticing her trembles. "…What happened?"

Angel didn't look up, nor did she say a word. She clutched her rabbit tighter.

Emil took her by the hand. It was wet….

"Come on. Let's go to our room." Emil motioned, taking Access with his other hand and leading them away. Once they were in the small room and the curtains were drawn to let light in, Emil turned around. Access still prodded the young blue-haired girl.

"…It's okay to cry." Emil said gently.

And she did. She wailed hysterically, clinging to Emil and Access, surprising them. "I miss mommy and daddyyy!!" She sobbed.

At the sight of her tears, Access' face contorted as his eyes began to sting as well. "Don' cry, sis…" And then he started crying too.

"Shh… it's okay. What happened?" Emil said softly, using the brotherly tone he would use to sooth Access when he cried as a child. Even now, he was rubbing his younger brother's back, trying to calm him down while still focusing all of his attention on Angel.

"Yesterday… Fire…" Angel muttered almost incomprehensibly, her sentences broken by tears and hiccups. "The shop…"

"It's okay… you don't have to say anymore… if it hurts that much to think about it." Emil told her, bringing her into his embrace and stroking her hair the way he had seen her father stroke her when he had first met her. He could easily put together the pieces. Her parents were killed in a fire at the jewelry store.

She was an orphan.

Emil used to be slightly jealous of the other orphans for knowing that both of their parents were dead. He had harbored great hate because his mother was still alive, and had _chosen_ to abandon him and Access. But now… now he could see the other side of things, looking through Angel's tears. He had never before known the sadness of the children that had lost their lives when their parents did. Everything had changed for them in an instant, and there was no way to ever go back. Even if his mother would never come back to get them, there was at least still a small chance that she would.

He had only bore half of Angel's pain in the past, seeing the body of his father, lifeless before him. He could only imagine how Angel felt….

"How did you survive, Angel…?" He asked gingerly, wondering if she would answer. At least in his arms, she had begun to calm down; her uncontrollable sobs had become soft whimpers.

"I was…" She hiccupped, "playing… across the street…"

She brokenly explained how she had seen the fire start, how her parents were trapped within the roaring embers and unable to reach out to her cries. One of the owners of the neighboring businesses had to hold her back so she wouldn't run in there too.

"They wouldn't let me save them… Emil, I could have saved them…" She started wailing again, clutching her friend's ragged shirt tightly. The memories of the previous day were vivid to her. They scared her to death.

"…Maybe you could have, Ange… maybe you could have…" Emil said softly, a pang hitting his heart. She would have just died too… he was glad she didn't go in.

Angel still cried. There was nothing left for the young orphan, everything she had ever known in her life burned to the ground with her parents. She had no inheritance and no family. She was alone except for her two best friends.

"Ange! Cheer up!" Access whined, wiping his tears. His face was red. "You're prettier when you smile." He said in a small voice, giving her a weak grin.

Emil chuckled a little, letting the little angel go. "Hey, that's my line, you little thief." He ruffled his brother's hair. Access did learn everything from him, didn't he?

Angel cracked a little smile at the brothers' antics.

"Look on the bright side! Now you can play with us ev'ry day!"

Her little smile bloomed into a grin. "Yeah…" She hiccupped a little, wiping her eyes.

Emil gave a soft smile, petting Angel's soft blue hair affectionately. "Don't worry… we'll take care of you now."

"Really? Promise?"

"Promise. We'll take good care of you."

* * *

Later that day, when Angel was fast asleep from the previous day's fatigue, Emil escaped the orphanage and ran to the upper-class street, his feet running like the wind, silent and light.

He had to see….

The young redhead skidded to a halt in front of the black remains of the jewelry shop, out of breath and panting heavily. He stared in disbelief. There was nothing left but this smoldering pile of rubble. It was heartbreaking. This was where he had met Angel, where they had played together. Even the side of the building of the other half of the alley was slightly black, but not completely burnt down.

He took a deep breath, composing himself. Despite all his thieveries, there was just something about rummaging through the place of the dead that made him uneasy. Still, he walked forward into the ruins of Angel's life.

Surely there was something left….

* * *

When Emil got back that evening, he went to Angel's new room in the girls' wing of the orphanage, just down the hall from the boys' rooms. He went in and lit the lamp, then going over to sit on Angel's bed. For a moment, he stroked her hair, his eyes trailing over her. She still held Marron close to her, her face slightly contorted in sadness, as if she was having a nightmare.

He shook her shoulder gently. He had already brushed off the black charcoal that had before stained his hands on his pants. "Hey Angel. Wake up, I have something for you."

She stirred, opening her eyes slowly. Suddenly her eyes widened, and she sat up, blowing out the light of the lamp.

Emil blinked. "Ange?" She was trembling.

"Sorry… I… was having a bad dream…" She said in a small voice.

_She's afraid of the fire…_ Emil quickly realized. He shook his head, dismissing it. "It's okay… you're safe now, remember?"

Angel nodded a bit. "Yeah… I know. Thank you, Emil." She smiled a bit, unseen in the dark.

"Hey, look what I have for you." Emil rummaged through his pocket, pulling out a simply-designed metal cross necklace, half melted but still shining beautifully. Angel held out her cupped hands, and he lowered the chain of the necklace into her palms, closing her fingers around it with his. "It's… a gift. To remember your parents by…"

Angel looked like she was about to cry again, her eyes shining with new tears as she looked down at the silver pendant. Emil flinched. "Hey, don't cry again! I meant, you know, remember the good times." He said quickly, waving his hands as if to distract her. He hadn't meant _to remember the day they died_ at all. "It was all I could find that was still in semi-good condition… I think others got there before I could…"

"Thank you, Emil…" She said again, her voiced chocked up with all the gratefulness she could muster. "Thank you… this is the best gift anyone's ever given me. This is all I can ever ask for…" She whispered. "I want to be able to remember them…"

"Because you're afraid you'll forget?" Emil finished for her sympathetically. It was… the same as him. He had always been afraid of forgetting his father… but lately, it seemed like he was. He had no mementos from his parents. He wanted to make sure Angel wasn't the same in that way.

Angel nodded a bit. She didn't say much else. There was a long but not awkward silence. He hoped she wouldn't start crying again, but it seemed like she had run out of tears. He honestly hated seeing Angel cry, he didn't know why. She had always been a comfort to him… so he wanted to do all he could to comfort her.

Then Angel said, "Emil…? Will you stay with me? I don't want to be alone tonight…"

Emil nodded, smiling softly as he pet her hair. "Yeah. Of course I'll stay with you. I'm here to protect you, remember? I'll be… your 'guardian angel'."

Angel giggled softly.

* * *

It took a while for Angel to get used to orphan life. She was used to extravagant feasts every night and her own bible or hymn book during mass. But these little luxuries were quickly forgotten as she spent more and more time with Emil and Access, who went out of their way to make sure she could have a little more food or an extra blanket at night like she was used to, but they always poked fun at her and said that she would get fat if she kept eating the way she did or she would get sick from all the heat. But at least they were with her. She didn't mind being an orphan as long as she could play with them. To her, it was like a never ending sleepover.

However, often times, Angel would sneak into their room at night, just to know that their presences were nearby as she slept. It wasn't not allowed, but generally the boys slept separately from the girls. She never wanted to leave the lamp on at night, still afraid of the fires, so Access and Emil were shrouded in darkness as well, but they didn't mind it too much. Emil would tell Access that he would have to get used to it, because in the future, if he was going to be like his big brother, he would have to live in the completeness of the night. Only the moon would be their guide.

The only problem was… Angel was afraid of the dark.

So Emil and Access kept their night time getaways a secret, waiting until she was asleep before they went out.

Though sometimes, Angel would hold onto Emil so tightly that he couldn't escape.

She was the only one who could capture him.

* * *

"Where's your money now, spoiled brat?"

"I'm not a spoiled brat!" Angel protested feebly, "Give her back! Give Marron back!"

"Aww, you want your toy? It'll cost you." The boy who held Marron smirked, raising it high over his head so that even if she jumped she couldn't reach it.

"Meanie! Give me my toy! It's mine!" She cried, tears beading at the corners of her eyes, "It's special to me! Please return it!"

"How cute," The older boy sneered sardonically, pushing her back when she got too close, "Special. What, is it worth that much? Maybe I should just sell it."

Angel landed on the dirty ground with a soft thud. She whimpered, trembling in pain.

"Ha. Not so great now that you have no bodyguards, huh? You're a no-good pest of the street." The boy mocked her by lowering the toy slightly, then raising it out of reach once more. "What's the matter, you rich spoiled brat? This is how the real world is."

"I'm… not…" Angel sniffled, her small hands clenching into fists. She had only been at the orphanage for a little over a month, and the kids who lived down the street already figured out who she used to be.

"You're so pathetic. This is a really ugly toy too." The boy laughed, "What, is it made by some famous doll maker from France? I don't think you got your money's worth."

"Stop saying things like that!" Angel got up, "Marron was given to me by a special friend! Give her back!"

"Special friend?" The boy echoed, seeming amused, "You're a rich kid. You don't have real friends, much less special ones…"

He was suddenly cut off by a blur of dark red passing Angel and a hard fist colliding with his face. The boy fell backwards and dropped the rabbit doll.

"Who the hell do you think you are, messing with her?!" Emil growled angrily, glaring down at the older boy. He picked up Marron, handing it back to Angel without a word. She whimpered again, clutching it tightly as Emil turned back to the bully. "Pick on someone your own size!"

"Ow! What the hell?!" The boy got up, holding his nose, which distorted his voice in a funny way. He then realized who had attacked him. "You're that thief from the orphanage! What, gonna steal my victim too, runt? Aren't you a bit too old to be playing with little girls? Oh wait, I forgot, you _are_ one!"

"Shut up! Get away from her! How many times do I have to tell you to stay away from my family? You think you're going to get away with making my friends cry?" Emil cocked his head tauntingly, cracking his knuckles. He gave another swift but effective punch, this time to the gut.

"Grr… little rat!" The boy clenched his fist, still rubbing his nose. "You don't have a family! You're an _orphan_!" He tried to hit Emil, but he dodged nimbly.

"You're wrong! When are you going to learn your lesson?! Next time you mess with Angel or even my little brother, I'm going to stop going easy on you!" Emil threatened in a powerful voice. Though the bully had hit a nerve, Emil kept his cool. He kicked the boy in the back, sending him into the dirt. "Now scram!"

The boy grumbled in annoyance, swiping at Emil futilely before he trudged off.

Emil watched him until he disappeared, then turned around to face Angel. His voice changed from tough to soft in an instant, is expression becoming gentle. "You okay?"

Angel nodded a bit, petting Marron protectively. "I'm… just a bit sore…" She looked up at him, "Thank you for protecting me, Emil… I owe you."

Emil grinned and shook his head. "Nah, you don't owe me anything. I'm your guardian angel, remember?" He ruffled her hair, laughing a bit, "It was nothing. The guy pretends to be all strong and cool, but he's just a blubbering idiot."

Besides… he was the one who owed her. Even if Emil had saved her once that day, Angel had saved him in a way that he would never forget.

"Why did he call you a thief?" Angel asked, running her hand through her navy blue locks to try and straighten it.

"A thief is someone who steals things, remember?" Emil shrugged, guiding her back to the orphanage.

"Emil… are you still taking things that don't belong to you? You shouldn't do that…" Angel frowned, "Sister Natalia gives us everything we need. And she says stealing is a sin, anyway. Oh, that, and hurting someone else intentionally…"

_If only you knew… half of those things are the things I steal for everyone… but of course, they think it's courtesy of an anonymous donor…_ Emil thought, rolling his eyes. "I know, I know." He didn't answer her question, of course. Stealing was… more than a hobby for him. Not only that, but if he didn't, they wouldn't be living well every day.

However, Angel had grown up having refined tastes and proper manners… so from the very beginning, even if she would forgive them for stealing or sinning in general, Emil knew that he had to keep the truth from her, even if he didn't want to.

"Well, I've had the punishment for beating up that kid before… it's not so bad. Don't worry; I'll still be around tonight, so you won't have to be alone."

"Silly, I have Access too!"

"Yeah, well, I'm the one who promised to protect you." He grinned.

She was happy and oblivious the way she was now. She never needed to know or partake in his nightly activities….

Emil never wanted Angel's wings to be soiled. Angel would be free to fly wherever she wanted, unhindered by the chains of his sins.


	3. An Idea

It was almost time for Emil's tenth birthday… Angel kept thinking about what she could get him. He was always giving her little gifts, but she had never really wondered where they had come from…

And then she thought about the perfect way to surprise him.

"Emil, Access, come on, let's go play!" Angel laughed, holding the six-year-old redhead's hand. Access grinned and blushed a bit, walking alongside her as Emil walked on her other side, his hands shoved in his pockets as he looked nonchalantly around. Marron was tucked under Angel's arm.

"Where are we going?" He asked, seeming disinterested.

"The field! The one outside of town! I used to play there when I was younger… the fairies were really nice, and pretty and shiny!"

"Fairies?" Emil gave the younger girl an amused look.

"Yeah, fairies! They do exist you know! Though, mommy used to say only little kids and babies can see them, because babies have a lot more magic than kids our age."

"Magic? You really believe in that stuff?" Emil laughed.

"Yes! Don't you?"

Emil thought about it. Well, he believed in angels, why not fairies and magic? Then again… magic was something akin to witchcraft and sorcery, which were considered evil….

"Well, sure, why not?" He shrugged nonchalantly. "Everyone else seems to."

"Emiiil… you don't sound convincing enough! Silly, you can't lie to me! You're not very good at it." Angel pouted playfully.

_Actually, I'm _very_ good at it. You just don't know it because it's hard to lie to you…_ Emil thought, ruffling her hair with one of his hands before sticking it back in his pocket.

"Are the fairies still there, Ange?" Access asked in a small, excited voice.

"I don't know… I haven't been there in a few years. Maybe… Most likely, yes. If not, I know something else we can see!"

Emil glanced at Angel's smiling face. She was hiding something, he knew it immediately. A surprise…?

When they got to the field after a while of walking, Access pretended to complain about his feet hurting and lay down on the grass, rolling around for the fun of it. Angel giggled madly and joined him, trying to crawl on her stomach and catch him. Emil just rolled his eyes and tickled both of them when they weren't looking.

When they were all worn out from their tickle war, they let out a tired breath and lay down in the grass next to each other, gazing up at the sky. A few clouds obscured their view of the sun and gave them ample shade.

"Where are the fairies, sis?"

Angel sat up, looking around. "I don't know… they must be hiding. Or maybe we're too old to see them."

"Aww, but I wanna see!" Access whined.

"Do you want to see something else?" Angel got up, going over to a patch of wild strawberries.

"Oooh… those look good. Can we have some? Maybe we should pick a bunch and bring 'em back to the church…" Access crawled over. He wasn't able to pronounce orphanage yet, so he stuck to just saying 'church'. He looked curiously at the patch and picked a big, ripe strawberry. Then he took a bite of it and scrunched up his face. "Sourrr!"

Angel laughed. "Silly, those are strawberries. They always taste like that." She sat down next to it, letting Marron rest in her lap. Emil came over, but he didn't sit, watching his crimson-eyed little brother blush in embarrassment and his best friend pick a few of the red berries from the bushes and vines.

"Hey With, come on out," She called softly into the patch, causing the two bothers to quiet and become still immediately, "With? Where are you? I brought Marron… Do you want to play with Marron?"

Emil lifted an eyebrow in curiosity, watching carefully. Obviously, she had known this With thing at least four years if it knew Marron. There were a few movements in the vegetation….

"I brought some sugar. You liked the sugar on the strawberries last time, right?" Angel kept speaking as if to no one, pulling a little bag of sweet white grains from her pocket. She tipped it slightly onto the strawberries in her hand, covering them.

Access and Emil watched closely as a small black nose and furry white muzzle poked out of the undergrowth, sniffing Angel's outstretched hand. And then the whole creature emerged. It was something akin to a rabbit, only its ears were fluffier and its tail was longer. It was furry and its big round eyes were a vivid red, not unlike the Niwa brothers.

"Kyuu!"

Access gasped in awe. Emil crossed his arms, simply staring as it approached Angel and took a strawberry from her hand with its small paws, nibbling on it. Angel giggled.

"Hey, With! It's been a long time. Sorry I haven't been to visit." She said to it gently, petting it with her free hand. "Look, I brought friends! This is Emil and Access." She grinned.

"It looks fluffy… can I pet it too?" Access asked, still gaping.

"Of course. Here, he likes strawberries. They're his favorite." She gave him one of the sugar-coated strawberries, and Access held it out, waiting for With to come to him. When he did, Access grinned widely and gave a childish giggle. "Hey, that tickles!" He laughed as With licked his hand. With went back and forth between the younger two of the trio that had come to visit, then looking curiously to the third of the party when Angel had run out of sugar.

With wagged his tail excitedly at the prospect of new friends, looking hopefully up at Emil as if asking if he had more treats.

"What exactly _is_ With?" Emil asked, still simply standing.

"I don't really know… I think he's a rabbit? He's certainly an odd rabbit." Angel giggled, picking With up as she stood. She whispered something into his ear, then walking over to Emil. With happily jumped onto the soon-to-be ten-year-old boy's head. "But I do know one thing. He's yours."

"Eh?" Emil looked genuinely confused, his eyes crossing as he attempted to look up at the small white rabbit. It hung on tightly as he tilted his head so it wouldn't fall off. "Mine? But… he's a wild animal!"

"He was kind of my pet… but mommy and daddy never let me keep him in the house, so I left him here since there were strawberries and fairies to play with." Angel grinned. "Happy birthday, Emil!"

"Oh… um…" Emil was dumbfounded. "Err, are you sure this is okay? I mean, if he's been your pet for all these years…"

"It's okay! He'll be fine. I know you'll take good care of him, just like how you take care of me!" Angel giggled, "Besides, he's very friendly."

With purred, pawing at Emil's red hair. "Kyuu!"

"See? He's happy already!"

"Yay! Big bro, can we keep him? Please?"

"Err… well, yeah, but I'm not sure if Sister Natalia will let us…" Emil chuckled. He reached up, taking With off his head. "Well, I guess he's kind of cute." The young boy petted him fondly.

"Kyuu! Kyuu, kyuu!"

"Okay. We'll sneak him into the orphanage then. Why not?" He chuckled, and With jumped up to lick his face. "Hey, stop that! That tickles!" He laughed.

Angel grinned. "See? He's happy. He's saying happy birthday to you too."

* * *

He was a master thief, and he was only thirteen. He was known for appearing in the night and leaving without a trace, the most precious items gone with him. He was fearless, going for the most extravagant of targets.

Stealing little trinkets had gotten boring. He only had eyes for the finest wealth now, aiming to steal all kinds of heirlooms and arts. He had gained a sort of appreciation for the beauty of his targets, seeing them for their worth of effort and not their worth of price. Angel had taught him this, learning from her the secrets of her family "jewels". Of course, he had no use for these items that he stole, and so returned them before long, only to steal them again in the near future. After all, after an item is stolen once, the owners decide to put more protection on them. That only made his game all the more fun.

Access was his partner in crime. He was learning everything from Emil. Together they made the ultimate thieves, unrivaled in their skill. The Niwa brothers took any dare and listened for every rumor of wealth and fine arts. They kept their senses sharp by doing these things.

However, Emil knew that Access had no idea of the real reason they were doing this. It wasn't just for kicks. Access had no real drive but boredom and the will to cause trouble. Emil… he could still vaguely recall the reason he had started to steal.

His mother… She was the reason he kept going. But there was also a little… remorse? Angel had taught him to feel that way, to see things differently in the same innocent way that she would see everything. True, he hated his mother… but… he couldn't help but remember her. He remembered all the times she tucked him in and sung him a lullaby. The bedtime stories, the warm hearty breakfast waiting at the table every morning… She hadn't been a bad mother. She had simply chosen to be a bad person.

Emil was a bad person too, because of her. But still, he recalled her voice. However, her face… it was starting to become distant to him. All he could remember was the gentle curve of luscious red lips.

He hoped that one day his mother would return and see what kind of a man he had become. Would she look for them? And if she didn't… he hoped she would look at the night sky, like she would when he was a child, staring at the moon before she closed the drapes, and see the dark shape of the phantom thief who seemed to fly through the air.

That was him.

* * *

"So… there's _thief_, and then there's _phantom thief_ in Japanese, huh? _Kaitou_ sounds cooler than _dorobou_." Access snickered.

Emil rolled his eyes. "Yeah. _Kaitou_ definitely sounds cooler. It's more mysterious." He smirked.

"Kyuu!" With agreed, purring as Access pet him.

Angel peeked in, clutching Marron under her arm. It was night, so she was coming over like usual. "Are you guys awake?"

"Of course." Emil smiled, waving her in. She came in, sitting down on the bed.

The young blue-haired girl looked between the two boys. "What were you talking about?"

"Oh, just teaching Access some Japanese." Emil shrugged. He did remember the basics, after all, and he liked to practice so that he would always remember.

"Wow, really? Can I learn too? Please?" Angel asked excitedly.

Emil chuckled. "Sure." He ruffled her hair, which had grown out since they had first met. "Hey, aren't you a little too old to be sleeping with Marron?"

Angel pouted. "No. I'm only twelve!" She stuck her tongue out, holding her rabbit doll closer.

"You're almost thirteen. You're definitely too old to be sneaking over here. Really, Ange, you're _still_ afraid of the dark?" Emil teased.

"No! I just like sleeping over with you guys." Angel gave an innocent grin, but it caused the Niwa boys to blush for an unknown reason. Luckily it was dark, so she couldn't see too well, whereas their eyes were trained and used to it.

"Right. Then go to sleep already." Emil petted her head again. "I'll teach you Japanese later."

"Okay. Good night, Emil. Good night, Access." Angel yawned, laying down and curling up. "…Um… thank you, guys… for everything." She whispered in a small voice before her eyes closed and she drifted off.

The Niwa brothers were quiet for a long time, waiting until they heard Angel's breathing even out, soft and quiet.

"Ready?" Access gave a mischievous grin.

Emil frowned a bit, looking back at Angel. "…I think… tonight… we should stay."

"Aw, what? Why?" Access pouted.

"…Do you remember what day it is?"

It was odd that Angel would just say "thank you" like that… there were plenty of reasons why she could have, but Emil knew the real reason. There were three days that were important to Angel, and every year, even if she tried to forget it, or even if she acted like it wasn't "that day", it haunted her dreams and changed her a little bit, just for one day. Her heart always knew when "that day" was, even if her mind didn't. Emil… he always remembered.

The first, obviously, was her birthday. It wasn't that special, really, but it was one of the few "holidays" that the orphans tried to celebrate on their own, since the church didn't seem to acknowledge it. Usually it was something small, like a cake or a collective gift for the birthday girl or boy, but for Angel, she always got something special from the Niwa boys.

The second, Emil always pretended he didn't know about. Angel was always happier that day than any other day of the year. She would give him a little gift, and he would ask her what it was for, playing dumb. She would give him that big huge, innocently cute grin and say, "Silly, this is the day we met!" They would laugh for the rest of the day.

The third… this was the one she had pushed to the back of her mind, but every year, on the same day, she would tell them "thank you". Even if it seemed like it was for something small and unimportant, she always had a sincerely grateful and far-off tone. She had done this for over five years.

It was the day her parents died… the day she became an orphan.

Emil looked softly upon Angel's sleeping form, absently picking up her half-melted necklace and caressing it with his fingers. "She's going to have a nightmare."

Access seemed confused. "Huh?"

"And if she wakes up, we have to be here… or she'll cry." His elder brother said gently.

"Oh…" The youngest of the trio realized what he was talking about. He blushed in embarrassment. "Guess we're turning in then?"

"Yup." Emil smiled a bit, ruffling his brother's dark red hair, lying down and wrapping his arms around Angel, like always, cuddling with her. "Night, squirt."


	4. Crushing Romance

There was a short period of time where both of them were thirteen years old. However, Angel didn't seem very different, still bearing the same innocent nature she always had, simply growing more beautiful by the day.

Emil, on the other hand, was attacked by the worst kinds of hormones.

_Stupid puberty._ He grumbled to himself in his head constantly.

The worst part was: looking at Angel, and just… _noticing_ her.

When she was a child, she was chubby and round with rosy red cheeks that only got redder when she cried. Her hair was trimmed so that it was always bouncing above her shoulders and tied in two small ponytails at the sides of her head. She was an adorable little girl, always smiling.

Now, she had filled out a bit… she wasn't as little girl, she was a young woman. Her deep indigo eyes stood out more on the paler-than-tan fair skin she had, bordered by long and thick eyelashes. Her navy blue hair grown out so that it reached her waist easily, waving slightly at the ends in a charming way. Her lips were a luscious deep pink, almost red, her smile even more enchanting and cheerful still.

It didn't take Emil long to realize that he had a huge crush on his best friend, even if he denied it to everyone else and went to flirt with other girls instead, beginning to notice the curves and softness in the opposite gender. He just… didn't say anything to her. He was her best friend, and he knew that the most that she ever thought of him was as a big brother and a guardian.

But even as he gave a charming smile to other girls and gave them pet names, to him, Angel was the most beautiful creature to walk the earth.

He knew it wasn't right, though…. They were just friends… siblings, nothing more.

He didn't realize it when he had stopped talking to her altogether, avoiding her in fear that he would slip up and say something stupid to her, or do something… inappropriate. The thoughts going through his head that he spouted to the other girls made them slap him… hard. He didn't want her to do that, or to even know he had those kinds of feelings.

He never noticed that she was far brighter than simply in personality. She had noticed his change in behavior. At first, she was worried, but she didn't say anything either. She kept quiet, acting like everything was normal when she really wanted Emil to tell her what she did wrong, believing it to be her own fault. She didn't consult Access though, confident that if she was patient enough, Emil would tell her himself.

She was too innocent to see the real problem.

After a week, she decided that if he was avoiding her, then she would help him out, and avoid him as well. She would still sneak into their room at night, but only Access was there, and Emil would be out taking a night time walk or something along the lines. After the first week, though, she stopped coming all together. She forgot to tell Access, and of course, he got worried.

She found it hard to sleep at night, but she shut her eyes and pretended she was in the Niwa boys' room. She missed them. Though, luckily for her, Access would come over and sit with her until she fell asleep.

Two weeks into the ordeal, she went out to play alone. She didn't come home that night. That certainly got Emil's attention.

Worried, he went off in search of her.

* * *

_What if something happened to her? Maybe she got lost? Damn, stupid Angel…_ Emil thought as he ran through the night. He went to all the places she could have gone. Maybe she went to visit the old jewelry shop, which stood now as only an empty lot of dirt? Her parents' grave? Maybe she went to the field they so often played in.

Being the farthest place, that was the last place he checked. He stopped at the edge of the field, panting hard and sweating heavily. He wiped his chin free of the dirty beads of water that had dripped down his face.

There she was. He let out a sigh of relief. She was sitting on the rope-and-wooden-plank swing that they had made for Access the past year on the other side of the field, simply staring out at the moon, bright and blinding in the night. She had always been afraid of the dark, so she considered the big white rock her "friend".

He made his way over to her, crossing his arms and leaning on the tree where the swing hung off of. She glanced over at him, but they were both silent, and she glanced up again. He stared in shock. Despite the darkness, he could tell… She had been crying.

Abruptly, he started pushing the swing.

"Eh?" Angel sounded surprised. She looked over her shoulder, and smiled. He smiled back as she kicked her legs and laughed a bit.

When she stopped the swing by putting her feet on the ground, she grinned up at Emil. They didn't need to exchange any apologies for avoiding each other, even if Angel didn't completely understand why.

"Thanks for worrying about me." She said softly, leaning over and kissing him on the cheek in the same innocent manner she always had, as if she was kissing away a bruise. She was just trying to be sweet.

He immediately became as red as his hair, his face warming up so much that even she could feel it. She giggled madly.

After a while, he calmed himself down, giving her a strange look as her laughs quieted. She gave a little sigh of contentment. Suddenly Emil smirked, a devious idea popping into his head.

He reached up and took the side of her face with one hand, turning her head to face him. He leaned down, his smirk becoming a charming grin. She looked confused.

Suddenly Emil's lips were pressed against Angel's in a soft, awkward, but chaste kiss.

When he pulled back, he snickered. "That was for making me worry."

It was the first time he had seen her blush so hard.

He cursed himself for thinking that he lips tasted sweet. He just wanted to kiss her again now. It… had felt really nice.

Despite his playful manner, he was burning inside. His chest hurt with loud beats.

That had been his first kiss. He had stolen hers, but he had given his to her as a gift.

* * *

"Hikari. He's a new artist in town, just come in from Japan. And the news is, his art… it's _different_." Access said excitedly.

"Hmm… but if he's new at this, it might not be worth a lot…" Emil crossed his arms. It was the dead of night, and the two Niwas were at it again. This time, they were staking out their newest target.

"No, when I said different, I meant that… his art seems as if it's _alive_," The ten-year-old thief explained, "and guess what? Hikari is _only fourteen_."

Emil lifted an eyebrow, looking down to the mansion across the street where the Japanese artist was lodging. "Well. That's a big surprise."

"Yeah, he's some kind of kid prodigy." Access' head bobbed up and down enthusiastically, looking to the mansion as well, crouched on the rooftop of the next building. They could see the lights on in one room, where the Hikari was staying. He was still working on his latest piece, commissioned by the masters of the house.

"Well then… I guess we'll have to welcome him to Munich."

* * *

"So that's _big bro_ in Japanese. Hey bro, maybe I should start calling you that." Access snickered. The Niwa brothers were teaching Angel Japanese again, like they had promised.

"Oh, I want to call you o_nii-chan_ too! Can I?" Angel said, looking up at Emil with big blue eyes.

"Err…" The redhead frowned. "But it sounds so… girly…"

_Plus, I don't want to be your 'big brother'…_ He thought with dismay.

"No it doesn't! I think it's cute!" Angel pouted.

"No." Emil frowned.

"What, are you too old for cute pet names?" Access teased, "You're only fourteen. Give yourself a few more years before you become a man."

"Yeah, I am." The older Niwa retorted to the ten-year-old. "Besides, Ange, you're fourteen too. _Onii-chan_ is so childish! You should grow up."

"Oh, don't be mean, Emil! Access said it too! We're not adults yet." Angel stuck her tongue out.

"Well, yeah, but come on. In two years we're going to be kicked out of the orphanage. We have to learn how to be adults or else we're not going to make it in the world." Emil pointed out.

"You're such a kill joy…" His younger brother frowned. "But… they can't kick you out… we're siblings. They don't separate siblings. You'll be here till I'm sixteen."

"Yeah, _I'll_ be allowed here. But what about Angel? She's not blood related to us. Sister Natalia will be forced to leave her on the streets." Emil gave a matching frown.

"Huh? What? Really?" Angel seemed clueless about the whole thing, "I… I'm not going to be allowed back?"

Emil sighed, reaching up and ruffling her hair fondly. "Don't worry. We promised we'd take care of you, remember? When we turn sixteen, we'll get out of here… all three of us."

"Really?" Angel had an excited sparkle in her eyes. "Where will we go? Can we go to Great Britain?"

Emil chuckled. "We'll see."

"Why Britain, sis?" Access asked, tilting his head.

"Because! One day, when I'm all grown up, I'm going to be successful like mommy and daddy!" When Angel was a little girl, she always spouted dreams of owning a jewelry shop or an art gallery in Britain, even though she had never seen it. "Except they don't let women be successful here…. They let women be successful in Britain, right? So I'm going to go to Great Britain someday! I'll be the most successful woman in the world when I get there!"

Emil gave a kindhearted laugh. "I'm sure you will be." He said, like he always did when she told him this as a child, "As long as you have a man by your side, you can be as successful as you want." He gave a little smirk. The implication was less than obvious.

Angel didn't even notice.

* * *

"Did you hear that the princess is interested in that Hikari artist?" Access asked.

"Wow… I wonder if she'll come here to meet him? She must have the best kind of life… being a princess…" Angel sighed dreamily.

"Don't tell me you want to be a princess too. I bet it's all stuffy and not fun. Who wants to be royalty when you can live the life of freedom down here?" Emil grinned. _And besides, it's more fun to steal from them than be them._

"But it looks so… elegant? I think that's the word…. She gets people to dress her up and she gets all kinds of fancy jewels and gifts and those sorts of things! And the dancing! The balls and parties she must go to…. It must be wonderful…"

Emil gave a little grin. "Well then, why don't we have a ball, princess?"

Angel blushed shyly. "Oh, I didn't mean…"

Access interrupted her. "Hey! That's a great idea! Let's make it _treat Ange like a princess_ day!" He laughed, "I get to dance with her first!"

Emil gave a devious grin. "Then I get to be the prince."

Angel laughed at the brothers' antics. _The prince, huh… A prince and a princess… together? Like in the fairytales…. Oh, how romantic!_


	5. Honest Mistake

"Hey, _onii-chan_." Angel giggled, hopping into her room, where Emil was hanging out after Sunday school classes, like usual. She had long ago stopped carrying Marron around, but she still kept the dirty, worn out doll as a keepsake. It was resting on the little shelf next to her headboard, which doubled as a desk. "Oh? Where's Access?"

"Eh. He's somewhere, probably helping Sister Natalia." Emil shrugged, leaning on the wall. He ran his hand through his hair, frowning a bit when she called him her big brother. "Hey, that lesson today…"

"I don't get it." Angel finished for Emil, sitting down on the bed.

"Yeah. I mean… that thing about lust and desire and stuff…"

"How does it apply as a sin to non-married people when it doesn't apply to a married couple?" Angel asked.

"Are you reading my mind?" Emil chuckled. He actually knew full well what lust was, but Angel was so innocent….

Ever since that first kiss… his crush had grown into pure love. He couldn't stop thinking about her, noticing her, staring at her and spacing out, imagining what it would be like if they were always together. He wanted to be with her… He wanted to kiss her again.

With these thoughts, "love" had quickly turned into "desire".

"Say, Angel… Why is giving in to 'lust' such a bad thing?" Emil asked, wondering what she would answer.

"Um… I don't know. Lust is different from 'love', though… I think there has to be 'love' and unity for the act to not be a sin." Angel speculated. "At least, that's what Sister Natalia says."

"So if you like someone… when does 'like' become 'love'?" Emil questioned, sliding over to sit on the bed with her. She didn't seem to notice.

"Uh, I don't know…" She said again, her face contorting in concentration as she thought hard. "I like you as a friend… and I love you as a brother, I guess. I have since I met you." She mused. "Though what is love, really?"

She didn't notice the almost hurt look on Emil's face.

"So if we don't know what 'love' is… what if we already have it?" He pressed, seeming to lean in closer, "Would that make 'lust' a sin? Why is lust a sin, anyway?"

"Um… I don't think it makes lust a sin then… Eh? Emil…?" Angel blinked, suddenly noticing how far away his face was to hers when she felt his warm breath tickling her ear. She looked over to him, seeing that he was only a few inches away now.

"Aren't you even curious to see why?"

"We shouldn't…. That would be sinning." Angel said, staying still.

"But if we have what makes it not a sin, we wouldn't be sinning, now would we?" Emil gave a mischievous smile.

"Emil?"

"Come on. Let's see if it's so bad that the church would prohibit it."

"But… Emil…!" Angel was cut off when Emil captured her lips, his hand coming up to keep her head in place. He gently pushed her down on the bed.

When he broke the kiss after a moment, he looked down at her, his hands on both sides of her head as his legs straddled her. "I love you, Angel. I have loved you for a long time."

His heart was pounding. Hers was racing alongside it.

Her voice was small as she spoke. "Then… I suppose… I am a little curious… I mean, I heard some adults say that it feels really good…"

"Then let's see what feels good about it."

"Oh… okay…" Angel blushed, seeing that his hands were moving. "What… what are you doing?!" She seemed flustered when he pulled off his shirt, then reaching for hers. She could easily see that his chest was tan and flat, but strong.

"Well, you have to take off your clothes to experience the gratification… At least, that's what I heard." Emil gave a smile, seeming calm. In reality, he was extremely nervous. He had never seen a girl without her clothes on before… and no girl had ever seen him without his. This was a new experience.

He would fall three stories off a mansion roof to run away from the owners of his heists' targets and feel no fear. He would rather be doing that now.

"Where do you hear these things?" Angel asked, lifting an eyebrow, attempting to keep her cool as well, seeing his collected demeanor.

"Eh, places." He wanted to drop the conversation, but obviously, he would have to guide her through this, despite his own inexperience.

Her dress-like shirt came off. Their faces were deep red. He leaned down and kissed her again, too modest to actually look at her body.

Neither of them noticed the crack in the door or the crimson eyes that peeked at their silhouettes. It closed quickly and silently, the face of the owner of those eyes as red as his hair.

* * *

That night, Emil and Angel lay together, naked, under her blanket. His arms were around her, like when they were children, cuddling her to make sure she was safe from the dark. It was night now, but they had exhausted themselves earlier in the day enough to take a small nap. Now they were wide awake.

"Emil…?" Angel squeaked softly.

"Yeah, Angel?" Emil replied with a gentle tone, stroking her hair.

"…I'm scared." She held him closer, "The shadows…"

"It's okay… I'm here. I'm your guardian angel, remember? I won't let anything bad happen to you."

"Angels are made of light." The young teenager mused a bit, "What are those words in Japanese?"

"Angel, _tenshi_. Light, _hikari_. Shadows… _kage_… Dark… _yami_." Emil listed off easily. These were words he used often… the first two being the ones he used to describe Angel in his head. "_Anata wa watashi no tenshi desu…. Watashi no hikari…_"

"…I am your angel…? Your light?" Angel parroted, looking up at him. She smiled a bit, inching up and giving him a small kiss. "Thank you…. You are my light in the dark too."

Emil snuggled closer to her. "What are those words in English?" He said back to her, knowing that she had learned a great deal of English from her mother before she died.

"_Engel_ is Angel, of course…"

"Like you." Her friend interjected.

Angel giggled, continuing, "_Licht_… light. _Schatten_, shadow. And… oh. _Dunkel_ in English is 'dark'. I'll teach you how to write it tomorrow."

"_Dark_…" Emil repeated. He liked the sound of that.

"…Emil? Are we going to get in trouble?" The blue-haired teen asked in her small voice, "We did something bad…"

The elder of the pair ran his hand through her long, currently tangled hair. "No. No one's going to find out, okay? We're fine." He assured her, "It wasn't bad… we did it out of love, right? We can't be damned for that…"

"We also did it out of curiosity…. It did feel really good though… Is that the thing that makes it a sin?"

"I don't know, but if this is sinning… I want to do it again." Emil answered with a charming grin, but he saw the look on her face, half horrified and half concerned. He caressed her cheek gently with his thumb. "Don't worry. Nothing is going to happen to us, okay?"

How wrong he would be.

* * *

Angel was crying hysterically. Sister Natalia was trying to push her carefully onto the wagon that had arrived at the orphanage. Emil was shouting angrily at the old woman and the drivers of the wagon, his fists clenched tightly. Access was attempting to hold him back.

The drivers of the wagon grabbed her roughly by the arms, pulling her up. She struggled, reaching out for Emil and Access, still crying and screaming in agony.

"Angel!" Emil called, "Damn it, Access! Let me go!" He growled, swatting at the ten-year-old. "They're taking her away! Let me go!"

"_Emil!!_"

"Angel! Angel!!"

Soon, they weren't able to do anything. The drivers snapped the reigns, and they were gone.

Emil hit the ground hard, not even caring that his fist hurt now. He glared at Access angrily. "Why the hell didn't you let me save her?!"

"I… I…!" Access' face was reddened from his own tears.

Emil stood up, going over to Sister Natalia. "Why?! Why did you do that? She's not sixteen yet!"

Sister Natalia gave the young redhead a hard look. "We're sending her to a convent… in Great Britain. She has always wanted to go there, hasn't she?"

Emil knew immediately that something was wrong. "You didn't even ask her! She didn't want to go… not like that! Why?!"

"She committed a sin…. The father thought that this was the best way to cleanse her of that." Sister Natalia said gently, trying not to upset the boy even more. "You, young man, are in need of some cleansing as well."

Emil flinched. This was about _that day_?! How did she know about that?!

She reached to take him by the arm. He stepped back. "Don't touch me!" He ran off, out of the church courtyard.

Access chased after him. "Big bro! Wait up!"

It wasn't until they got to the field outside of town before he stopped, mercilessly beating up a tree until his knuckles were raw and red, but he didn't notice the blood. He still didn't listen to his younger brother, growling and muttering to himself angrily.

"Big bro, I… I didn't mean to… I never meant for… I didn't know they would do that!"

This certainly got Emil's attention. He turned around, a fire alight in his violet eyes. "What?! What did you do, Access?!"

Access flinched, looking down at the ground and digging his toe in the dirt. "I… I asked Sister Natalia… what it's called when a girl and boy are in a bed together without any clothes on." He explained nervously, blushing deeply, "She asked me why I suddenly said that and I told her that I saw you and sis like that…" He admitted reluctantly, then looking up and quickly raising his hands in defense when he saw Emil raise his fist to clobber him. "I-I swear! I didn't know she would do that! I didn't mean to send her away! I swear it!" He began to cry again.

Emil took a deep breath and tried to calm himself. He watched younger brother cry for a while, and his brotherly instinct rose inside of him. He let out a heavy sigh. "Don't cry, you wimp. Men don't cry."

The young redhead looked up in surprise, wiping his eyes quickly. "Y-you're not mad at me?"

Emil growled. "Of course I am, but that's not bringing Angel back." He looked toward the sky. It was too bright, too blue… It was mocking him.

"I-I'm sorry… I really am. I didn't mean to…"

"I know, I know." Emil frowned, "But right now, we need to get her back."

"Y-yeah! Okay! I'll do anything to get her back! What do we do?" Access perked up, little tears still in the corners of his eyes. He knew Emil always had a plan… always. Even if it was off the top of his head, it always never failed to succeed.

"First, you're going back to the orphanage. Get Marron and With and whatever you can. We're not going back there."

"E-eh? We're not?" Access repeated in confusion. Emil nodded solemnly. "O-okay… but…" It was the only home he had ever known….

"Say goodbye to everyone too. Don't worry, we'll see them again, promise." Emil said seriously, with a small smile. "Remember that mansion we stole from last year, the one to the north-west, near Langwierder See? Meet me there, and don't get lost. They'll probably rest somewhere near Egenhofen… so we'll have to hurry. They've already got a head-start."

"R-right!" Access turned to run off, but then he paused. "Wait, what are you gonna do?"

"Just go!" Emil barked at him, causing him to flinch and dash away. He growled a sigh, running his hand through his dark red hair. "Angel…" He looked toward the sky again.

"…Don't worry. I promised to protect you. There's nothing this phantom thief can't do. After all… the great _Kaitou Dark_ is coming to save you."

* * *

"Damn it! We're not going fast enough!" Emil complained angrily as he and Access stopped to rest again. They had been running all day, out of breath and just plain exhausted by the time night rolled around. Their feet did hurt, but Emil was running on pure adrenaline.

With, who had been hanging tightly onto his shoulder, gave a _kyuu_ of worry.

"Big bro… it's impossible to catch up with horses like that…! By the time we catch up, they'll probably already be on a boat…" Access said regretfully.

"Grrr… If only we had wings! Or magic! We've got to save her…!"

With sensed the desperate need in Emil's voice, pawing at his cheek sadly. Suddenly he jumped off, wagging his stubby tail as he sat on the ground, looking a bit excited.

"Not now, With…." Emil was obviously frustrated, but With didn't give up his plethora of _kyuu_'s. "What, are you hungry?" He fished some strawberries out of his bag, throwing them to the small animal.

Delighted, With ate the fruit, but then he kept _kyuu_'ing. Emil gave him a strange look.

"What…?" Emil knew that the little creature wasn't just hungry. There was something else. He had known that With was a lot smarter than most creatures, but… was he trying to tell them something?

"I think he wants to help save Ange too." Access mused, standing up. "Okay, let's go again."

"Kyuu! Kyuu!" With cried. Access was heading off again, but Emil was staring it straight in the eyes, their crimson orbs locking.

And then, as if somebody had heard Emil's wish, With changed. In a flurry of feathers, suddenly a great black beast stood before him, its wings spread to their full length, black as ink and magnificent and full.

"Holy…!" Emil breathed in awe, his eyes wide. "With?!"

"Kyuu!" His cute squeak was slightly deeper now, but it was most definitely the small rabbit from before, except he wasn't small and he wasn't a rabbit. Actually, he looked more like a dog or a fox or a wolf of some sort, though his wings were far too big for his small body.

He flapped his wings a bit, jumping up and tackling Emil, licking his face. Access had stopped and turned around, and he was now simply staring.

"Hey, cut that out!" Emil couldn't help but smile, "Okay, this is new, and it's most definitely awesome. Since when could you shape-shift, little guy?" He petted the winged animal.

"Kyuu, kyuu!" He purred, backing off a bit. He bowed its head.

"…You want to help rescue Angel." Emil knew right away. "What… are those wings of yours magic?"

"Kyuu!" With ran around him, jumping onto his back and holding on securely, his paws gentle but firm. He flapped his wings a bit, and surprisingly, Emil was suddenly flying.

"Whoa… wow! Cool!"

"Big bro!" Access called, regaining his senses, "Come on, let's go save Angel!"

"Right!" Emil nodded, getting back into focus, "Can you carry two, With?" With gave another _kyuu_ in response, and stooped down so that Emil could grab Access. Emil was already strong for his physique, so it wasn't hard to scoop him up. "Hopefully air travel will be faster, huh?"

"W-we're flying!" Access realized, slightly frightened and excited by the idea, "Amazing…!"

"Let's gawk later. Let's fly, now!"

"Kyuu!"

* * *

"There. She's stopping in that monastery for tonight. I guess she's training on the go…" Emil frowned.

"What are we gonna do, bro?"

Emil gave a mischievous grin. "What we always do. We're going to steal the target."

"What?" Access squeaked quietly, "You mean kidnap her?"

"What choice do we have, Access? If we don't, she's going to be sent to Britain and we'll never see her again." Emil said seriously. "Come on. You're ten, they won't care if you go and ask for shelter for the night. Go in, remember to look for an escape route, and find Angel."

"Right. After I get out, then what?"

"We run. No time to figure out if With can handle three weights, but I _know_ I can't handle both of you. We just have to get her out of there, okay?" Emil said with a tone of authority.

"Got it." Access jumped down from the building they were perched on, racing across the street.

Emil looked to With on his shoulder. "You did good today, buddy. I owe you, don't I?" He chuckled a bit, reaching up and rubbing the white rabbit's furry head.

"Kyuu!" He motioned with his head to a window on the monastery, where they could see Angel.

She was looking out into the night, her elbows on the windowsill and her fingers entwined. She was kneeling, praying… rolling the half-melted cross in her palm.

He could almost see her lips moving in the darkness, her silent words reaching his ears.

_"Please save me… Emil…"_

_

* * *

_

"Come on, Angel!" Emil's face was full of relief and joy. He held Angel's hand tightly as they ran through the dark cobblestoned streets of the town, with Access just behind them. Their feet were silent, though Angel's were bare.

They didn't stop running until they got outside the town, where they stopped in a field and collapsed, tired and out of breath.

Angel started crying again.

"Sis? Why are you crying?" Access asked, worried.

"I'm… just so… happy…!" She was indeed smiling, her tears being those of joy.

"Heh… what did I tell you, Angel?" Emil smiled softly, giving her a sideways glance. "I wasn't going to let anything bad happen to you…"

"…Because you're my guardian angel." Angel finished, sniffling. She wiped her eyes, sitting up a little and rolling over to face him, leaning over him. "…Thank you."

"Hey, I promised, right?" Emil gazed up into the deep blue pools of her soul, "Don't cry, Ange. You're safe now, okay?" He suddenly gave a grin, reaching up and wiping some leftover tears with his thumb, caressing her cheek gently, "Besides… you're going to drip all over me."

Angel laughed, purely overjoyed. She leaned down, pressing a kiss to his lips. He kissed back, his hand moving to the small of her back, pressing her closer.

After a moment, when Access realized why it was so quiet, he groaned. "Eww…! Guys, _please_ don't do that in front of me!" He whined, "Seriously. It's because of that that this whole thing happened!"

Emil broke the kiss, sitting up. The redhead glanced over to his little brother. "Oh, right. I never did properly punish you for that."

"Eep!" Access shot up when Emil suddenly gave chase. Angel watched for a moment, a look of confusion marring her face, but then she started laughing.

It seemed as if nothing had changed.

* * *

"Oww…. Not cool, big bro…" Access moaned, holding his eye.

"You could have really hurt him, Emil! How could you?" Angel scolded as she tilted Access' head back a little, pouring some lake water over his face. It was morning now, but they had traveled enough to get back to Langwierder See by the previous midnight. They had camped out there until dawn, and now Angel was treating the bruises Access had gained in his scuffle with Emil.

"He's the reason we're in this mess." Emil spat, washing his face. He had explained the situation to Angel on the way to Langwierder See.

"H-hey, watch it! That hurts…!" Access pouted.

"Sorry!" Angel bent down and kissed his eye. "There, is that better?" Access blushed profoundly.

"You know, that never works…" Emil rolled his eyes.

"And yet you still like it." Angel retorted, sticking her tongue out at him.

"_Anyway_, guys…. What now?" Access interrupted.

"Well… we keep going, I guess." Emil shrugged.

Angel tilted her head. "We're not going back home?"

Emil looked thoughtful. "We can… go _near_ that place we used to call home, but there's no way we're heading back to that orphanage." He said. "Come on, this is our chance! Let's get a house… be a real family. We're on our own now. We were supposed to have two more years, but I guess that's not the case. But that's okay, right? We can start our own lives and take care of ourselves, just like we always have!"

Angel looked a little sad. "But… we're still kids… how are we ever going to get a house? Land? Money?"

"Don't be silly, Ange. We can do it. Don't worry, I'll handle it all. We promised to take care of you, remember?" Emil gave a charming grin.

"Yeah! Let's make a new promise, okay?" Access said, giving a similar grin, "We'll always take care of each other, no matter what! We have no one else now…"

"I… I can take care of you too." Angel nodded, seeming determined, "I promise too!"

The Niwa brothers grinned, the elder ruffling the girl's hair.

"Alright then, onward… to the heart of our Munich!"


	6. Joining Sin: Enter The Dark

Like Emil said, they found a "house" to live in. It was more of a large shack. It didn't have an owner and no one was using it, as the inside was covered with a layer of dust when they found it, so they decided to "borrow" it. No one would wonder why a bunch of kids were hanging out in a shack outside of town, as it seemed like they were a bunch of misfits forming a club.

The three swept it up and cleaned it a bit before making themselves at home, but with nothing but a rabbit, a doll, and a few blankets and clothes, they could only sleep on the hard floor at night. Not that they minded, as they were used to it.

One night, while Angel was asleep, Emil proposed an idea to Access.

"We send out a notice. With can do it, he's really fast, and no one will notice."

"But… that's dangerous! Letting them expect us?" Access frowned. They had never done that before.

"Who cares? It's a new challenge! Let's take that Hikari down a notch. He thinks he's all that for being wealthy and foreign… and besides, his art… there's just something about it. And, we can use With to fly. No one will expect us to steal from the air! We're on our own; Sister Natalia isn't keeping an eye on us anymore; we don't have a time limit or someone checking up on us! Let's do it! Let's show the world a new and improved us!" Emil seemed excited. "Come on… I don't want to do this without you. Let's debut together!"

"Well… I suppose so. Okay. Why not?" The younger redhead grinned, his crimson eyes glinting with mischievous light.

"And I have the perfect name for us too! You know, to sign the notice."

"Oh yeah? What is it?"

"_Kaitou Dark._"

* * *

"Did you hear about that new thief? That shadow thief scares me…. He's so mysterious. Do you believe the rumors about his wings? And his name is so odd, but is has a dark feel to it." Angel shivered a bit. "And he's so daring, letting people know beforehand when he's going to steal something!"

"Yeah…. What makes you bring that up, all of a sudden?" Emil asked idly. It was night, and they had lain down to sleep, Access already snoring away.

"Well, I heard some women talking when I was at the market today." Angel said. "They said he was going to steal again tonight."

"…You still don't like stealing, do you?" Emil sighed, turning over to stare at the ceiling.

"Well, I just want to understand _why_ someone would do such a thing…" Angel said in a small voice, yawning.

"Well… remember when we first met, and I said I _had_ to steal to survive?" Emil said, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye.

"But that's different. That was stealing money and food…. This stealing is for art. What use does art have in survival?"

"Maybe it's just… a thrill? Maybe someone's being held hostage, and he's being forced to do it." Emil shrugged, "Or maybe he's a fallen angel, just trying to make trouble." He smirked.

Angel shivered again. "Fallen angel? Like a demon?" She curled up a bit, "How frightening!"

"Don't worry. If he comes to steal you, I'll protect you."

"Steal me? Why would he steal _me_?" Angel squeaked, huddling closer to Emil.

Emil laughed softly, running his hand up her side. "Because… You are more beautiful than any art in the world."

"_Emil_…" Angel rolled her eyes, "Hey, no touching." He had become rather 'clumsy' and perverted lately, trying to find ways to touch her and see her… Sometimes he would do something ridiculous like spill hot water on her dress. She got mad at him for that though, so he didn't try it again… with _hot_ water.

"It's true. Or maybe, he'll come to steal you because you took something from him." Emil teased, pulling her closer, not obeying her much. "Thieves hate it when their things get stolen."

"I…? I didn't take anything!" She pouted, slightly panicked. She didn't protest when Emil held her, though.

"Don't worry; I'll protect you… because I love you." He kissed her on the forehead.

_I want to steal you away… because you were the first person to steal anything from me._

Angel smiled a bit, closing her eyes. "You're hopeless, Emil." She yawned, turning over as her breathing slowed. "Good night…"

After Emil was sure she was asleep, he sat up. He brushed her bangs aside a bit.

_You stole my heart._

He stood up, and With, already awake, jumped onto his shoulder. He grabbed his pack and they snuck out. Time for his heist!

A few minutes after the door shut, Angel opened her eyes.

_Emil?_ She frowned, getting up. Where was he going? She didn't like that he was hiding things from her, but she had known for a long time that he and Access had their secret hobbies.

She followed him into the night. She could hear his nearly silent footsteps ahead of her. She had always wondered why he stepped so lightly the way he did, but she had just dismissed it as being careful or something of the like.

She bit her lip as she saw the boy stop suddenly. She hid behind a tree. He looked around, seeming to sense his follower, but shrugged it off. He ran on. She waited a few moments before she came out and followed him once more.

And then suddenly, the shadow of his figure jumped into the air. It was an impossibly powerful jump. She couldn't see why he was doing so, until she heard the flutter of wings and suddenly a silhouette blocked out the moon. It was the shape of an angel.

_W-what…?! That's… the shadow thief! The one with wings!_ Angel thought in shock, _Emil is…?!_

She ran to the place she knew the heist would be. She had to see… she had to make sure!

When she got there, it was crowded with bodyguards and other sorts of security. It was a public museum after all, the whole gallery filled with all kinds of art made by the Hikari who had come to Munich before.

She had known that Emil had an eye for art, but to go out and steal such things…? Did he not want others to see the beauty of the art that he could see?

She saw him then, hiding among the darkness, clad in black so that he would blend in. His smile glinted in the moonlight, and then suddenly, he dived, disappearing from view. She waited anxiously for him to come out. Would he be caught?

Suddenly he burst through the front doors, laughing tauntingly at the guards, running past them and suddenly sprouting wings, taking off. She had never seen him more… _alive_ than in this moment. He was truly having fun… being himself.

He teased the shocked crowd of guards once more before he flew off, a faceless phantom in the night.

Angel was amazed. How had he done such a magic trick? Had he made a deal with the devil himself?

She realized that he was probably heading back to the shack, and she hurried off. However, by the time she got back, Emil wasn't there. She wondered where he was, but she took the opportunity to slip back under her blanket and slow down her beating heart.

Everything about this confused her…!

About an hour later, when she was just drifting off again, she heard the door open again, squealing slightly on its rusty hinges. She could tell that Emil was trying to be quiet though, but she still pretended to be asleep.

"It was a success." He whispered in Japanese, so quiet that Angel was surprised she almost couldn't hear it in the dead silence of their little home. She could only barely understand him, but she had to listen hard. Who was he talking to?

"You got the sculpture?"

_Access?_ Angel realized that he had stopped his snores a long while ago. Did he know that she had snuck out? Had he been awake the whole time?

"Yup. It's safe and sound in our 'vault'." The more mature voice of the elder sibling said. "They beefed up security… Next thing we know, they'll have dogs on us."

"Don't worry. We'll be fine." Access assured.

"I wonder how With will work under pressure, though? He's afraid of dogs…"

_With?_ Angel was confused now. What did that little rabbit have to do with anything?

"Well, we'll see when it comes to that. Was it like the rest?"

"Yeah, it had that weird feeling about it…. With even hissed at it this time."

"Huh, weird… Maybe someone else was there?"

"Who, though?" Emil sounded thoughtful, "Maybe… Hikari? I've only seen him once though…"

"And it's only ever when I'm not with you." Access reminded him.

"That's true… and With hissed at him then, too. It might've been him, then… but I don't get it. He's kind of a nice guy. A humble artist, you know? So why would With dislike him? I think he takes his art way too seriously though… He might see our little thefts as great compliments. After all, he's not all that well-known except in the upper quarter…"

"So a lowly thief like _Dark_ giving him publicity is a good thing. Man, this is so messed up that it's confusing…" Access paused, seeing With crawl over to Angel and nudge her nose with his. Her face contorted a bit. "Gak, With…! Don't do that!" He hissed.

"I think it's time to turn in." Emil chuckled, crawling under the covers, beckoning With to him. The furry white creature hopped over, snuggling with the elder Niwa. "We'll talk tomorrow."

"Right, let's not risk waking her up…" Access nodded, lying down. "Night."

"Good night."

When all was silent, Angel's thoughts drifted off as slumber took her.

_Emil… is Kaitou Dark?_

_

* * *

_

For a few months, Angel kept it a secret that she knew theirs. If they wanted to tell her, then she would wait for the day when they would.

She still fought to understand why they would keep stealing the arts of one specific man… and she kept trying to figure out where they hid it.

One night, when Emil and Access were both out on their heist, she followed them once more. She saw them split up to play a trick on the guards. When they got the target, they broke down the street, the guards trailing just behind them.

"Get them! There are two of them!"

"Shit! Big bro, don't wait up for me! Go, go!"

She had been hiding in an alley way, but she could see that they were losing ground. They were just about to run past when she called out, "Guys, this way!"

They looked surprised, stopping for just a moment. Emil was a lot faster to recover though, and so he grabbed Access' hand and followed her. Angel grabbed his hand, leading him through the maze of alleys. The moon was her guide, letting her see the tops of buildings silhouetted against it so that she would know where to turn.

They lost the guards a long while later. Panting and out of breath, they stopped in the middle of a wide alley, their hands on their knees to support them. Emil looked up, wiping his brow and his eyes of sweat.

"_Angel?!_"

She gave a nervous laugh. "Um… Hi." She grinned, not sure what else to say. "You guys okay?"

"What the hell…? You _knew_?" Emil asked incredulously.

"Yeah… at first I thought it was just you, Emil, but then I figured out Access was _Dark_ too." Angel admitted. "And With! You're amazing! I didn't know you could do that!" She grinned at the small creature on his shoulder. She had only recently discovered that the wings that Dark sprouted were the shape-shifted form of With.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Access asked. "You don't mind? I thought you hated seeing us steal…"

"I don't hate it… I just don't understand it. You guys have some explaining to do later! I thought you would tell me when you were ready. I've known for a while. But anyways, you guys looked like you were in trouble, so I thought I'd help." Angel shrugged.

"…How did you do that, anyway? I mean… the dark… and… it's a maze!" Emil seemed absolutely stupefied.

Angel gave a broad grin. "You're not the only one with a few tricks and secrets up your sleeve." She stuck her tongue out at him, "I know a few things too… like pretending how to sleep. I must make it look pretty convincing if you keep talking about things in the shack."

The boys blushed. Angel certainly was a mystery as well.

Angel stood up straight, taking a deep breath and composing herself. "Hey, what are we waiting for? Let's go home," She smiled at them, "_Kaitou Dark_."

"Ah… there's just one thing, though…"

* * *

The Niwas took Angel to their secret vault of arts, a cave deep in the forest just outside their shack. It was protected by a large boulder that the boys had to push aside slightly to make enough room to squeeze through, like a tunnel to a sacred treasure trove.

"Hikari makes a ton of stuff. Every time we steal something, he just makes something else. I think he's trying to get better… or faster… or make something worth stealing for us." Emil said, depositing their latest target among the scattered collection of art.

Angel looked around in awe. "All of this…" There were paintings propped up against the wall, sculptures gathered in one corner, and other things all about the cave room. Somehow, everything as it was sent a shiver down her spine.

"Only a few month's worth, but I think we did good." Access grinned.

"What if someone finds it all?" Angel asked as they ushered her back outside.

"They won't." Emil reassured, confident. "So, Angel, now you're burdened with helping us keep _Dark_ a secret. What will you do?" He glanced over at her, his hands on his hips. He seemed oddly nonchalant.

Angel looked down at her feet. She twirled her hair with her fingers in thought. "I… I just want to know one thing."

"What is that?" Emil and Access asked simultaneously.

"Why do you steal that Hikari's art? I hear talk in the market, and the rumors seem true, from what I've seen in your… _collection_. It's what everyone has been talking about ever since _Kaitou Dark_ appeared…. They say that without an exception, the pieces are _fantastic_… and anybody who looked at them would see something that made them seem almost as if they were living creatures…."

Emil nodded. "Precisely… those are the exact reasons we steal his art. He is… a scientist, experimenting, trying to create the perfect life form. We are the detectives, here to stop his madness." He smirked, "Of course, it's a little different from that, but there's just something about those arts…. They're… Well, it's almost as if they are…"

"…_Alive…._" Angel and Emil said together as Angel made a realization.

"But… they're '_things_', aren't they? How can they be '_living things_'?" The blue-haired teen asked, confused.

"They do carry some sort of power… I can sense it. They magic to them… and some sort of will, almost. But… though simply '_things_' they may be, they are not '_living things_', Angel." Emil seemed oddly serious, as if… bewitched by this idea. "But they're almost there, aren't they? That's why it's so fun to keep stealing them. To see the progress Hikari is making… and to see _what_ he is trying to accomplish."

"…Because he is definitely up to something." Access added, his head bobbing up and down in agreement. "It's something like a war…. We're at war now. Our goal is to find out what he's planning."

Angel frowned, deep in thought. Their question was then answered. "…I'll help you."

Access cheered. Emil gave a boyish grin. He reached up, ruffling her hair.

"Then you… are now _Dark_ as well."

* * *

The Niwa boys and Angel were coming back from a visit to the old orphanage. The boys couldn't stand letting them live poorly, since before, it was them who supported the whole place. Of course, Sister Natalia had no idea that they had visited.

Angel discovered that it was the Niwa boys who had been the anonymous donors to the church orphanage. She was amazed. Their thieving skills had been put to a _good_ cause? She supposed it was like the magic in the fairytales they used to read. It wasn't the magic that was good or bad, it was the person who cast it.

Revisiting the children from their old home got her thinking, so she asked Emil as they walked, "Do you ever think about the future?"

"Of course. Why?" Emil answered easily.

"Do you ever think about… oh, I don't know, having kids? Or maybe adopting one of those guys?" She motioned behind them, where they had left the orphanage.

Emil nearly gagged. Access started coughing nervously. Both of them were as deep red as their hair.

"W-what makes you ask that?!" Access had a look of mock disgust. "I mean, adopting, of course, but… we're too young to adopt!"

"We should take care of ourselves first…. Once we can figure out if we can support ourselves, then we'll see if we can add one more to the crew." Emil said, not looking at her, but rather, ahead.

Angel giggled. "You guys are so funny. I meant in the future."

"Well, I think about the future _sometimes_ then. For now, it's the present." Emil scoffed. Access looked between him and Angel.

"Yeah. Hey, does thinking about tonight's heist count as the future?"


	7. Life Magic

Angel was sixteen now. For two years, she had worked as the third "Dark" that no one ever got to see. But she was the one who designed the black leather costumes Emil and Access wore, and she was the one who found all the arts, which had begun to appear in museums and collections as a piece by an anonymous person. It wasn't too hard to scout them when she took on the role of a gallery critic, young but beautiful for her age but talented in the art of acting that the Niwas had taught her.

She learned that often times, Access was a lot smarter and more serious than he appeared, but the young twelve-year-old was a brilliant actor himself, only feigning oblivion. However, he was rather clumsy and naive, that was no act… half the time. He was often easily distracted as well, which worried her often when he went on solo heists.

And then there was Emil… She had learned to take any opportunity she could to tease him, since his ego was often over-inflated. She had come up with a nickname for him, and during the nights, when they would go to sleep, she would always say, _"Good night my little phantom thief."_ In the morning, she would greet him in a similar way. It was cute, but for him, it was degrading. It made her laugh, though, so he never told her to stop calling him that. Eventually, it turned into their little term of affection.

However, for the past year, Emil had been disappearing in the nights. It was strange, especially since he didn't have heists. Sometimes he would bring Access too, which eased her worries slightly, but she still had to wonder where they went off to.

She would be left to sleep alone. She missed their presences though… and took to staying up at night, waiting for their return, learning how to sleep in the day.

Two years had changed them a lot since she had first discovered their secret. Their little shack at the edge of town was transformed into a sort-of home. The ground now had a rug, and there was actually a bed for them to sleep in, however, it was more of a huge futon slightly elevated off the floor. There was a little altar in the corner where Angel prayed, though the Niwa brothers had given up their Christian practices long ago. Their possessions had accumulated, and now they seemed a little more fit to the normal definition of a "home".

One night, like that time when she was fourteen, she snuck out to follow Emil.

She saw him go into a lonely mansion beyond the forest. It was a short walk away, but it certainly was an odd place to go. Was he stealing from there? The mansion looked homey and well-taken care of… but at the same time, it gave off a creepy haunting feeling.

She approached it, looking through the iron gates of the front entrance. The lights were on. She could vaguely make out Emil's form inside, standing. Was that… a look of concentration? She couldn't see if any other people were in the room…

Suddenly Emil raised his arms, a light spreading around him, probably coming from the ground. It gave his face an ominous look, almost… evil. An orb of darkness formed between his spread palms, glowing black and purple.

Angel gasped. She turned and ran.

_That was… the art of the devil?!_

_

* * *

_

Emil watched as the magic orb dissipated. He grinned.

"You're doing very well, Emil." The old woman he was with nodded, "You have progressed far this past year."

"Thank you, ma'am, for teaching me magic." Emil bowed a bit, being polite.

"I hope you will use your skills well? Remember, these techniques are forbidden. There is a reason no one else knows of my existence." The old woman eyed him. She was an elderly witch whom Emil had discovered. He almost had to beg her to teach him magic.

"I promise. I am only learning this to protect my family." The redhead nodded. "And I am only teaching my brother for those reasons as well."

"That is wise of you. Hikari still worries you?" The woman inquired, standing up from her rocking chair. With whined, jumping off her lap as she did so, hopping over to Emil. With had taken a liking to the old woman, who seemed to know much of his species. She had taught With some new tricks as well.

"Yeah. Whatever he has been doing for the past two years, it's beginning to catch up with us. The artworks of late have been… rather disturbing in power." Emil nodded. The witch certainly did know of his activities, after all, it was that identity that had gotten her to teach him. He remembered well the night he had appeared before her in a flurry of black feathers, serious in all ways when he said, _I am the great phantom thief Dark_.

"Your senses have been sharpened well. Very good, you have learned how to hone and measure magic." The woman smiled.

"Hikari's magic… where is he getting it? Do you know, ma'am?"

"It may be that he is naturally a wizard… or, he may have dealt with the divinities themselves to gain his forbidden technique." The witch frowned, her face marred with wrinkles, "However, you must remember that these techniques are not necessarily 'evil'. Magic has no alignment. It is only how they are used that sets them within your human definition of 'just' and 'unjust'."

"Yes, ma'am," Emil nodded. She had given him this lecture every night he had come to visit her.

"Hikari may not be the villain you make him out to be. Perhaps you should speak with him? Knowledge is power. If you can understand his reasons for creating art, you may understand the real reason that you steal it." The old witch gave a mysterious smile, her expression ancient and all-knowing, as if she were 'god' himself.

She was the closest thing to 'god' that Emil had ever met. That was what he thought.

"I understand, ma'am." Emil nodded respectfully once more, "If you don't mind, I think we should be leaving now." He petted With, who had jumped onto his shoulder.

"Of course. This may be our last meeting, Emil, for I have taught you all that I can. Now it is up to you to reach _your_ limit." The woman smiled, bowing. "May the gods be with you, _Kaitou Dark_… Emil."

Emil looked slightly sad, but he bowed back. "Very well, then. Shall the gods be with you… Madam Nachtphönix."

* * *

Angel prayed quietly at her altar, hoping to the gods that Emil wasn't dealing with the devil himself. That was where Emil found her when he came home that night.

"Angel? What are you still doing up?" He asked curiously, as if nothing had happened. He could see that she was slightly jittery. Did something happen? "Did you have a nightmare…?" He asked slowly, trying to single out the problem.

Angel put down her necklace, which she had been using as a sort of makeshift prayer bead. She stood up and turned around to face her redheaded friend.

"I wish it _was_ a nightmare. I wish you would tell me what's going on." She said quietly, looking down at her feet, "I keep waiting and waiting…"

"What are you talking about, Ange?" The Niwa teen frowned, stepping up to her, "What's wrong?"

"I keep waiting patiently for you to tell me why you keep running off at night. I trust you, Emil, but you have to stop keeping secrets! I don't want to keep finding out on my own and jumping to the wrong conclusions…."

Emil blinked. "…You followed me again, didn't you?"

Angel frowned, nodding a bit, her fists clenched at her sides.

"Geez, how do you keep doing that without me realizing it? You're as good a sneak as me and Access." Emil chuckled, putting his hands on his hips, "Really, I should be good at knowing when people follow me by now."

"Emil! That's not the point!" Angel sighed, looking him right in the eye, "Don't lie to me. I saw you go into that house… and summon up the devil's magic. How could you do that? Why?"

"Shh, you'll wake Access." Emil said casually, taking yet another step closer. He reached to take her hand, but she recoiled. He frowned, sighing. "Fine, fine, I'll tell you what's going on. I'm just glad you didn't think I was having an affair. I don't know what's worse, being caught cheating or being caught in that mansion…"

"_Emil_…" She crossed her arms, waiting patiently.

"Okay, okay, geez… calm down." Emil said with an equal amount of patience, rolling his eyes. "Sit down, will you? I'll tell you."

Angel frowned, grabbing the chair from the small dining table and taking a seat, as he instructed. He took a deep breath and sighed heavily.

"There's a witch living in that mansion. I was learning magic from her."

"…That's it? That's all to your explanation? What about the black light? The…"

"Angel. Shut up. Let me finish." Emil interrupted, though not harshly. "I found her last year… and she told me that she would only teach me one element. I told her I wanted to learn about the night, and so she taught me dark magic. It was the perfect way to blend in with my natural element and still be able to protect you the best I could… because even in the day, there is darkness." He explained, "It is not the art of the devil… it is the element of the night, you see?"

"But…" Angel frowned. What did he mean when he said he wanted to protect her?

"I know you're afraid of the dark, Angel… but the dark is a part of me now." Emil said softly. "Will you accept that?"

"Of course…! But why did you have to keep it a secret for an entire year?" Angel asked.

"I didn't really plan on letting you know, Ange. I just hoped that I would never have to use these new abilities of mine. After all, I only learned them for you."

Angel blushed a bit.

"Besides, that old witch also taught With how to talk. I thought that might get awkward."

The blue-haired girl blinked. "With can talk?" She tilted her head.

"The second reason I kept it a secret. I know you get lonely at night without me and Access, so I thought if I could keep this a secret you wouldn't even know we were gone." Emil grinned. With jumped off his shoulder, _kyuu_'ing.

"What are you talking about…?"

Emil flicked his bangs aside, looking down at With. It was as if he had given the small animal a signal, because With changed on cue. Like usual, there was a flurry of feathers, but instead of turning into the black hound he usually did, there stood another "Emil", giving a grin.

"Hi, Angel!" The now transformed With waved a bit. Angel stared, dumbfounded.

"With is a shape-shifter, remember? He was taught a few new shapes to shift into." Emil chuckled. "Return, With." More black feathers flew, and now the redhead's shoulder was occupied by the small white rabbit once more. "Well, now we can't surprise you…"

"Emil…"

"Are you happy now? You got your answers. Go to bed." Emil reached over and ruffled her hair. "And don't worry. I promise that I'll tell you everything from now on."

"Ah… right." Angel got up, about to heave over to the bed before she stopped and leaned over to Emil. She kissed him on the cheek and whispered, "_Gute nacht, mein kleine schatten-dieb_."

* * *

"Hello. Are you Hikari?" Angel asked politely. Hikari had bought his own studio in Munich, where he created all of his art. Angel and Emil were visiting him in hopes of discovering his drive to create.

He was a young man, just about their age, with long, light blue hair pulled into a tight ponytail at the back of his head. He looked very tired and sleep-deprived, a certain look of madness in his golden eyes.

He glanced back at the couple who had knocked on his open. "Who are you?"

"We… are the Niwas. I'm Emil, and this is my _wife_, Angel." The redheaded seventeen-year-old said smoothly. Angel gave him a look, but went along with it, used to acting as his sister or some kind of significant other.

Hikari looked them over, but then turned back to his painting. "Are you requesting a commission?"

"Well, actually…" Emil started to speak, only to be interrupted by Angel.

"We wanted to ask you a few questions. I'm an art dealer, so I work for some people who might be interested. My job is to get to know the artists of this town and find the best works for my master." She smiled sweetly.

_Way to go, Ange. Smooth!_ Emil grinned down at her.

The blue-haired man glanced at her over his shoulder. "You? A woman?"

Angel's smile faded a bit. Emil came to her rescue. "Just because she's a woman doesn't mean she doesn't know her stuff. Aren't successful women what we need?" He grinned.

Hikari dismissed it. "Fine, come in. Ask your questions." He said.

Angel and Emil exchanged a glance, venturing further into the studio.

"I see you have a lot of work here…. Have you not been getting many buyers?" Angel asked.

"None of them are signed…" Emil commented.

"I decided long ago that I would submit my work as anonymous. And yet people still know it's mine." The man scoffed. He sat down in his stool, picking up his paintbrush. "These are all failed works that I do not plan to release."

"Failed?" Angel and Emil asked at once. They looked at each other again. Angel looked back at Hikari. "You're very young for an artist… Why did you start? Are these 'failures' the reason you continue to create art?"

"Yes. My goal is create the ultimate work of art." Hikari said nonchalantly, "But these experiments have always failed."

"Experiments?" Emil was looking around, his hand hovering over the painted canvases against the wall. He could feel magic coming off of them… Solemn, screaming, agonizing magic that seemed to be in pain.

"But… you are an artistic genius. How can these beautiful things… be failures?" Angel asked, seeming naïve and innocent to the reality of the room around her.

"They are just that, simply _things_." Hikari snorted, putting down his paintbrush and turning towards them, his golden eyes hard, "My aim is to pour _life_ into my art. I want to be so much _more_ than the normal Leonardo de Vinci. That, I earnestly believe I can do."

"Modest, aren't you." Emil commented dryly.

_Life? Is he being literal? But Madam Nachtphönix said… that if one were to give life to another by unnatural means… they would be giving up a part of their souls. It would shorten their life inevitably._

"Are you mocking me?" Hikari's eyes narrowed.

"I believe that you can do it." Angel said kindly, "I think that it's wonderful that you have a motive to keep getting better at your passion."

"…Thank you." Hikari said quietly.

"I've been wondering… You came to Munich at a very young age, did you not? Why? Did something happen to your family? Or was it that your reputation was unknown in your home land?" The young woman asked.

The blue-haired man frowned. He looked down to the floor. "My family is of prestige mastery in art, as I am, but… I came here to run away from the fatherhood my mother forced on me." He mumbled.

Emil and Angel looked surprised, but as Emil was facing the wall of paintings, he didn't show it. He stayed quiet and still.

"You… are a father, Hikari?" Angel seemed mildly awed by the idea. He seemed like such a lonely man….

He nodded a bit, not looking up. _I came here to run away from the monster my mother created from me._

There was a long silence. Hikari returned to his work, trying to distract himself.

Angel looked to Emil, wondering if they should have left.

"One more question." Emil said, finally turning to the artist, "Why do you keep creating more… if you know that phantom thief will only keep stealing it?" Everyone knew that _Dark_ had a specialty. He didn't just go for any old art.

Hikari's lips curved into a smirk. He was brightened by the mention of the lowly thief. "Because… We are at war. It is a war that shall extend into eternity…. My art, they are to be given life. But he… he snatches it away just as quickly as I can give it. This exchange… It is a never-ending cycle."

"Why are you smiling, then? Are you happy that he is stealing your work?" Emil inquired.

"That was more than one question." Hikari gave a humble chuckle, "I am… indifferent. I know he has not destroyed the art though. There is no reason for me to know that other than the fact that I know my experiments are reaching their goal. I don't care about those failures. He may know the secrets they hold, but he may also only think of my art as a simple mastery."

"Secrets…?" Angel echoed.

"But while he thinks I am a master… I am not one. He is a lowly thief trying to make his name by targeting just one person, but a skilled one. The scales are balanced by his appearances." Hikari gave a strange smile, "If I were to think he is a master thief, I have no doubt that _he_… thinks he needs a little more challenge to improve. I hope to give him these challenges. There is something he strives for, I know it."

Angel glanced up at Emil. His face was serious as his gaze locked with the other man's.

"So… what you're saying is…"

"There is no artist out there who matches my skill, and there is no other thief daring enough to match his." Hikari's smile changed. It seemed… almost kind, and at the same time, it was as if he were speaking to _Dark_ himself. "I regard _Kaitou Dark_ as my one true equal, more than anyone else, even if we stand on the opposite sides of the battlefield."

"…That is all we needed to know." Emil gave a smile as well. It was a strange smile that Angel had ever only seen on the face of _Dark_. He had been given a real challenge.

"Thank you for lending us your time." Angel said quickly, bowing slightly. "May we meet again."

He bowed back as the couple made their way to the door. "Shall the gods be with you." The other teen said.

"Shall the gods be with you as well." Hikari gave them a mysterious smile. After the door shut, he stared up at the ceiling, almost as if he could see through it. The light from the window stretched his shadow across the ground and revealed the ghost of wings behind him. "I know that they are with _me_."

* * *

"Emil?" Angel looked up, slightly worried. The redheaded thief was oddly very quiet, but still smiling.

"Looks like I've found myself a worthy adversary."

_Hikari… What are you doing, here with these… 'failures'? You are not creating life… you are creating a _monster_… I can feel it. You are experimenting to create the perfect monster, not the ultimate life form…_.


	8. New Beginnings

Access was just about to head out on a heist. He complained as Angel fitted him with the latest _Dark_ outfit.

"But why can't you come with me? They always end up _almost_ catching me! They never catch you! They're never even close!"

"Hey, I solo all the time, squirt. Grow up!" Emil riffled his hair, which was a deep red that flared out at the sides slightly. By now it was long enough to put in a ponytail, like Emil's.

"Fine…." Access pouted.

"There. All done." Angel patted him on the shoulder. "Good luck, Access!"

"Yeah, sure, whatever." Access sighed. "C'mon, With." They headed out.

"Take your time!" Emil called after him, a huge grin on his face. "Ah, they grow up so fast, don't they?" He chuckled. They were alone now, only a few candles lighting their dark home. Angel blew them out. She had long ago forgotten the reason for blowing out the candles, as it had become a habit now, but there was still that time of year she would have nightmares.

"Oh, let him have his nights off… He's still a child, Emil." Angel sighed, putting away her sewing materials.

"He's thirteen. He's almost as old as we were when we decided to 'grow up'."

"But that was different…" Angel frowned. There was a long moment of nothingness. They hadn't had a night alone like this for a long, long time….

"Angel?" Emil broke the silence at last by saying her name.

"Yes, Emil?" Angel glanced over, sitting down in the chair next to the dining table.

"Do you still love me?"

The blue-haired teen blinked. "Of course I do. Why would you think otherwise?"

"If I told you I loved you right now, would you believe me?" Emil stepped over to her, bending down so that he could whisper in her ear.

"Yes. What reason would you have to lie?" Angel smiled a bit, his hot breath tickling her ear.

"Will we spend the rest of eternity together?" He was kneeling next to her chair now, but his voice was still so close by her face. He kissed her cheek, taking her hand.

Angel closed her eyes. She squeezed his hand gently. "Where are you going with this? Of course we will. We're best friends… No, more than that. We've always been together."

"Do you remember the day we met?"

Angel giggled. "Yes… today. Over ten years ago." She said fondly, recalling the short, pig-tail haired little girl that had been drawing circles in the dirt alone until her red-haired playmate came. She hadn't forgotten to get Emil a gift, like she always had… She had been planning it.

Emil smiled. "Are you… still afraid of the dark?"

"Yeah… but as long as you're here to protect me, I know I'll be okay." Angel leaned down a bit, kissing him on the cheek like he had done earlier.

"Will you let me protect you?" He squeezed her hand softly. "Will you let me be your light?"

"Of course, why wouldn't I?"

"Will you let me hold you forever?"

"Emil, where are you going with this? I want to hold you too…" Angel paused, feeling something small and cold slip into her palm.

"Will you be my light?" Emil held her hand with both of his now. He swallowed nervously, looking down at their joined hands. He could feel her eyes on him, even though the inky black sky veiled their sight.

"I will." Angel said slowly, confusion marring her face. She watched him carefully.

An orb of shadow magic formed above them, showering them in its soft lavender glow. This was the moment of truth.

His violet-crimson eyes, turned violet by the light, met her beautiful indigo ones.

"Will you marry me?"

Her eyes widened. She saw what was in her hand now: a ring. She felt the air leave her as she breathed her answer in a soft whisper.

"Yes."

Emil seemed surprised. Then he gave her a smile, his expression overflowing with pure love and happiness. He slipped the ring on her finger and brought her into a hug, laughing with joy. He spun her around, holding her by the waist, capturing her lips in a kiss.

She laughed too, tears coming to her eyes. She suddenly felt as if she couldn't breathe without him.

Emil set her down, still kissing her, holding her close with his hand at the small of her back. His other hand came up, cupping her face, caressing her cheek with his thumb.

He finally pulled back. "Hey… don't cry now." He said softly, wiping her tears gently.

"But… I'm so… unbelievably happy. I don't know why…!" Angel hiccupped, "I… I love you. I love you, Emil."

The redhead leaned down, resting his forehead on hers. "I love you, Angel. I want to spend the rest of my life with you…. I want to thank you for everything you've ever done for me… for saving me."

Angel sniffled, looking up at him. "Saving you?"

"Angel… here is the whole, complete truth right now." Emil said softly, still cupping her face. "From the first moment we met… you saved me. Without you, I would have drowned in a world I didn't belong in. I would have grown up bitter and troublesome, an even worse person than I already am right now."

"Emil…"

"No, listen. When I was younger, I wanted to steal the world and the sky and everything beyond it for you… but I never thought that would be enough to repay you for everything you've done for me. Marron, that necklace, my first kiss, my 'purity'… you've treasured everything. I made all of the promises I did, and now… I want to give you all of myself. And I still think… it won't ever be enough." He stroked her hair gently, "We'll go to Japan. I'll always protect you. I'll always stay with you. I'll be your guardian angel. I won't let anything happen to you. I'll tell you everything. Do you remember?"

"I do… my little phantom thief." Angel smiled gently, her tears beginning to subside.

"When you first came to the orphanage… I thought that I never wanted to see you cry like that again. I knew you had this huge hole in your heart, and I wanted to be the one to fill it. That was just like me. When you said you wanted to save your parents… honestly, it kind of made me sad. I thought that I didn't want you to go away… and that I was glad you didn't." Emil said quietly, guiding her over to the bed, where they sat down. "And when I kept those secrets that I did… it was because you were my angel, and I wanted you to be able to fly without my burdens weighing you down. Ironic that God gave me wings in the form of With… but when I really thought about it, it was _you_ who granted all my wishes. I owe you my life, Angel, and even more than that. I don't even know how I'll ever repay you. I don't deserve you…"

"Emil, don't say that. Don't…. I love _you_, and no one else."

"I know… and I wonder why, sometimes. We… we're so different. You were my heaven-sent savior, and I was simply the fallen angel who didn't belong in Heaven or Hell. From the very beginning, we were from two different worlds… And yet, here we are…"

"…Creating our own." Angel smiled, her hand reaching up and pressing his closer, his warmth against her face. "Emil, stop saying these things. You don't need to owe me anything… Just stay with me."

"I am the great _Kaitou Dark_. I have never been captured, and no one's ever stolen my prize before me. But you… you're amazing, Angel. You are the only one who's ever been able to capture me… because you stole my heart. And I don't care if you never give it back or if you break it to pieces. I wanted to give it to you." Emil kissed her again. The magic light went out.

Angel tried to pull back, but it only ended up with her back flat on the bed. Their lips parted for just a moment so that she could speak. "I wanted to give you a gift too."

"What is it? I don't need to owe you more." Emil gave his usual boyish grin as he lay on top of her.

"_My_ heart. You stole mine too… a long time ago."

* * *

"Seriously, you guys could have warned me…"

"Hehe… Sorry. But we did put up the curtain, Access."

"Yeah, well…"

"Expect it to happen more often, squirt. Me and Ange are getting married."

Access choked, his face becoming red. Angel giggled again, and Emil gave a stupid grin. Access took a moment to compose himself before he glanced at their faces. "…No way. You're serious?!"

"Why, yes. Did you want to marry me too?" Angel joked, "I'm really going to be your sister now." She giggled, covering her mouth politely.

Access blushed madly. "N-no, I just… I mean, you're not kidding? You're actually going to…?"

"Yup. So we might just get you your own bed and put it in that corner there…" Emil motioned.

"Big bro… you're mean."

"You can be the best man."

Access' face brightened suddenly. "Really?! Cool!"

* * *

Hikari smiled down at his latest work. His skill was coming closer and closer to his final realization. Angel stared at his growing look of madness for a moment, and then knocked on the door to signal her arrival.

He looked up in surprise. "Oh. Niwa-san… I mean…"

"It's okay. I can speak Japanese too. My husband taught me." Angel smiled a bit. "If that makes you more comfortable, we may speak it."

"…Thank you." He said curtly, turning away. "What do you need? Does your master wish to buy? I'm closing commissions."

"Eh? Why?" Angel blinked, coming into the studio.

"Because… It is finally time to start my greatest masterpiece." Hikari gave an ominous smile. "All of my experiments have come down to this."

"You… are planning to dedicate all of yourself to this, are you not?" Angel asked patiently, struggling to understand his complicated Japanese. She had only learned the basics.

"I will abandon all else for my ultimate aim."

"…To pour life into the works of art that you create." Angel nodded.

"My hands… they are stained." Hikari commented absently, staring down at his skinny fingers.

"Huh?"

"I made a deal, you see… There is a forbidden technique that I have learned." He gave a frightening smile, looking down to his newest painting. He picked it up carefully by the edges, walking over to the wall of other paintings. He put it down there, and then turned around to face Angel, his hand sweeping out towards his side to indicate all of his work.

"These countless works… These countless objects… I have performed experiments to a degree no one could ever measure. Over and over again, I have given life to so many hideous and grotesque _things_." He said this in such a tone of disgust that even Angel could feel the angel and sadness of the works of art, as if they were truly alive.

She was getting scared now, but she kept her composure, simply watching his movements and listening to his seemingly random rant. He seemed to be so alone, if he told all of this to the first person that walked into his studio in such an unannounced manner.

"Don't say that… if they are alive, you'll be hurting their feelings."

"Feelings? Pah. These _things_ don't have feelings. Just like all other monsters, they're worthless." Hikari frowned, his golden eyes narrowing as he picked up a small sculpture of a cross, "But this one… it will. I will make sure of it."

"This one? Your masterpiece?"

"Indeed… it will be the greatest thing man has ever seen." Hikari gave a low chuckle, "My life's work…! The sole reason I sold my soul to the devil! All in order to create this one work of art! I will create _life_!"

Angel's eyes widened. _The devil?!_ She gasped, taking a step back. Obviously the dedication with which he had applied himself to his art had driven him to the brink of madness. He had obviously not seen a single other soul for a long time.

"Tell me; are you a worshipper of God?"

The dark-haired woman blinked, still staring. She made the mistake of letting her indigo irises meet his mad gold ones.

"Well… yes…" She said slowly. He had called his own works 'monsters'… but she could see that over time, ever since he had arrived in Munich when he was fourteen, he had grown to be a monster by means of his own craft.

"With the power to give life…. Am I a devil?" Hikari's crazed eyes captured her gaze and didn't let it go. "Or do I possess a power equal to _God_ himself?"

Angel didn't answer. She was trembling.

With all of her might she broke her gaze, bolting out of the studio.

Hikari let out an insane laugh.

The blurred line between being the Devil and God… was the catalyst that would drive him into pure and utter madness.

* * *

"Damn, a whole year…! It's been a whole year and all we can steal is scraps that Hikari let leak…"

"Emil, don't worry so much. It just gives us more time to be together." Angel sighed. Ever since her visit with Hikari the previous year, no new arts had been coming out. However, the Niwa boys and Angel had slowly been discovering the "lives" within the arts. They were rousing.

"Yeah, I know, so we can have our wedding… but…"

"Your passion lies in being my little phantom thief…" Angel knew well that not all of Emil belonged to her. He had always been destined to be the great _Kaitou Dark_ that he was now.

"Angel…" Emil glanced over at her. He looked thoughtful for a moment. "After our wedding… let's go to Japan."

Angel smiled a bit. "Of course. We said we'd go together, remember?"

"Yeah… But first… this last art he's making… I need to steal it."

"I know, and Access and I will both help you." His fiancée nodded in understanding.

"This will be our last act as _Dark_ here, I guess." Emil looked amused by the idea.

"Oh, don't be silly. You can always still be _Dark_." Angel chuckled.

"Yeah, all I need is With, Access, and you." Emil held out his hand, a charming smile on his face. "Come on, Ange. I'm going to steal the sky for you."

Angel blinked. "What?"

"Let's see if _Kaitou Dark_ can give you something I never could." He still smiled. Angel returned it and took his hand.

In a flurry of feathers, black wings adorned his back, and they were in the sky, twinkling with diamonds and lit up by the blinding moon.

The redheaded thief held his beloved bridal style, her arms around his neck. She held on tightly, staring around in wide-eyed awe.

"This… is all yours, my angel." Emil said softly, a warm whisper in the cold air, "You are the only bride in this world who will be able to fly."

"…You always did give me wings." The young woman in his arms giggled, her long, navy blue hair waving in the wind, brushing his arms.

"Soon… you will be a Niwa, Ange. Are you excited?"

"More than anything in the world, I've waited for this moment…"


	9. One Day

Angel visited the orphanage once more, for some reason compelled to visit all of her old memories. It had been a long time since she had been there… All of the children she had once known were now grown up and out on their own. She didn't see anybody that she knew.

"Ah, Sister Natalia!"

The old woman blinked, staring at her as if she didn't recognize her. "May I help you…?"

"It's me, Angel. I used to live here as a child…?" Angel was a bit nervous. After all, they had tried to send her away.

"Ah! Angel… my dear, I barely recognized you! You've grown so much! And you're so beautiful." Sister Natalia gave a warm smile, "Why are you here, though? I thought you have long since been in Great Britain…"

"I used to dream of that place, Sister Natalia, but I don't anymore…. I'm my own woman now." Angel smiled softly, helping her walk to wherever she was going. "How are you? Whatever has become of everyone I used to play with?"

"I am well, child. Those children have all made their way into the world, but your friends, the Niwa boys, have long since disappeared, unfortunately." The old nun paused, staring at her with beady, wizened eyes, "And you…?"

"I'm getting married," The young seventeen-year-old told her happily, a huge smile on her face.

Sister Natalia lifted a gray eyebrow. "Married? Have you abandoned the ways of our sisters, Angel?"

"I have never committed." She admitted, "I hope you are not mad, but I escaped long before I even arrived in Britain."

"Why would I be mad? I simply hope you have learned your lesson." Sister Natalia sighed, "So, tell me. Who is your husband-to-be?"

"Oh, he's the most wonderful man in the world! He is handsome, lithe, athletic, and most certainly talented in anything he puts his mind to…. And he always gets me gifts whenever I cry. He is kind and thoughtful… Almost perfect," Angel said softly, sighing dreamily, "He's always been a mystery, though. There are some times when I feel like I do not know him at all…"

"You sound like you are describing the man who moonlights as that shadow thief." Sister Natalia mused, "You have known him for a long time, I assume?"

Angel chuckled. If only she knew. "Yes, a very long time…"

"It wouldn't happen to be that boy Emil, now would it?"

Angel glanced over, giving a smile. "Who else could it be?" She grinned. "Is it that obvious?"

"If one knows you, one knows that you two have had no eyes for anyone but each other since you were children." Sister Natalia gave a wan smile, "I only wished that you had not given into the sin of desire so early."

Angel returned the smile in the same manner. "No one but you saw that, Sister Natalia."

"Tell me. What is Emil up to these days? Dare I imagine what Access is doing as well?" Sister Natalia chuckled. "I have my bets that those two were the ones who helped you escape the convent… and I do not even gamble."

"They were. Emil is… successful. We work together as… well, 'art dealers', per say." Angel hesitated in lying to the old woman, but she was smooth enough she didn't notice. "Access is just Access. He looks like a younger Emil, but he's still the same child you had known." She giggled a bit, "He's always been rather childish and naïve hasn't he?"

"Indeed… That is very nice to know. Will you send them my regards?"

"Of course." Angel nodded.

"So, when is the wedding?" Sister Natalia asked in good nature, "I do hope you two have been good since you left."

"Well, I would say we have, but you would know that would be a lie, wouldn't you?" The young blue-haired woman chuckled nervously, "We've tried, but that's not the point. Um, let's see… The wedding is set for next week, though it's only going to be us and Access…"

"I understand," Sister Natalia nodded, "Trying to get married as soon as possible? When is the baby due?"

Angel blinked, stopping. She stared at her old caretaker, a look of confusion crossing her features. "Baby? We have been engaged for a year, Sister Natalia. It's just about that time, that's all."

Sister Natalia gave her a look, lifting an eyebrow. "You are truly innocent, aren't you?" She said, "Have you not felt it?" She pulled Angel closer, whispering things into her ear.

Angel's look of incredulity kept growing. "Well, yes… I do, a lot, but I usually stay up late anyway…. Well, I have been having strange feelings of late… I thought it was just cold feet? Well, that's not true, but… Well, yes, _that_ is… Yes, that too…. How do you know all of this?!"

After a moment, the elder woman stepped away. She chuckled slightly, smiling. "My child, I used to be a midwife in my time. I do know quite a few things. You have the glow of a mother-to-be. You are only a few months into the pregnancy, so it doesn't show that much, but I can tell."

Angel blushed. "So… I'm… _pregnant_?" She still didn't believe it, "With Emil's child?!"

Sister Natalia gave a kindhearted laugh. "Indeed you are, Angel."

They were quiet for a moment as Angel stood dumbly, letting it sink in. When it finally did, a look of joy graced her features. She cried out happily, throwing her arms around Sister Natalia, tears beading at the corners of her eyes.

"I'm going to have a baby!"

That… was the greatest gift he could have ever given her.

* * *

"Can you believe it? I haven't told anyone yet… I've been waiting for the right time. I'm excited. I hope you are too."

Still compelled to visit her old memories, Angel had gone to the old jewelry store lot, which was now occupied by a new stand that sold something she didn't care for, and the day after that, she went to the town cemetery. She had gone to see her parents… alone. She had only ever been there alone once before, to talk to her parents about her first night with Emil, but even then, she knew that her guardian angel was watching over her. This time, she was sure that no one had followed her.

She remembered on her own this time as she looked down upon their empty graves. The only things marking their deaths were their names on the ground. Everything else had burned in the fire that had destroyed her life. This was the day that fire had happened… over ten years ago.

"I miss you a lot… I wish you were here to see me today. I wish you hadn't died in that fire… I wish you could have gotten out. But I don't think… I regret not being able to save you anymore, even if I used to wish there had been a way to." She said softly, kneeling in the grass before the two tombstones that had her parents' names engraved on them. "I do love you, mommy, daddy… but… Emil was right. If I had gone too, I wouldn't be marrying Emil tomorrow. I realize that now."

"I can make all these wishes and they will never come true… but I want to ask you to watch over me… and this little life growing inside of me." She touched the stone gently with her hand, willing herself not to cry. "Please protect me… and Emil… and this baby. I pray that your souls watch over me in Heaven, and that my sins shall be forgiven in time. I don't regret any of the things I have done up to this day. Does that make me a bad person?"

Little black spots began to appear on the cold, gray stone.

"I hope you're smiling down at me right now. I wish you could bless me with your presence." Angel sniffled a little, "Can you see the woman I've become? My beauty, my love, my life as it is… It's probably nothing like you expected it would be. I am going to be the wife of a great phantom thief. He is a wonderful man. I wished that you could have met him, but he did steal from you, so we were afraid. But if he hadn't stolen that necklace from you, he never would have been able to meet me, huh? Are you mad that he stole me too? He's going to take me away to a foreign land, and I'll probably never ever see you again." She held the half-melted cross around her neck tightly in her palm, smiling despite the tears escaping her eyes, "But you aren't really 'here', are you? You are wherever my memories go, I hope you know that. And I promise… I will always remember you. But… that doesn't mean I won't miss you."

She wiped her eyes futilely, sobbing quietly. Her chest hurt with the dark hole that had never quite been filled or closed, a tight pain choking her. She tried to hide her tears, as if her parents could see them from the dead.

"Are you happy for me? Are you proud of me? It would mean the world to me if you could send me a sign."

A gentle wind caressed her, making her hair flow around her, as if her father was stroking her head as he used to do. Suddenly she felt as if she was a little girl again as she cried into her parents' nonexistent embrace. This would be the last time she would ever feel like that.

Suddenly warmth surrounded her. She didn't need to look up to know who the owner of the strong arms around her was. On impulse, she turned around, burying her face in his chest.

_Don't see me cry. Not this time._

Her fiancé simply held her, stroking her hair and back slowly, silently soothing. He saved her from the suffocation of her feelings by simply kneeling next to his beloved. This was the one time of year she needed him most, on the day she mourned even in her dreams.

She couldn't fight this feeling forming in her stomach… that something bad was going to happen. But she dismissed it, simply thinking that it was another mood swing from being pregnant.

_Is it finally time to say goodbye?_

Emil stared distantly at the sky. He remembered that day too. _"Do you know why I wanted to have the wedding on the day after, Angel?"_ He had said to her just the night before, _"So that you would have something to smile about every year instead of something to cry about."_

She had played dumb like usual, replying, _"What are you talking about? I always have something to smile about every day!"_

Angel held Emil tightly. She didn't ever want to let him go.

"…Thank you…."

* * *

"…I now ask you, Emil… Do you take Angel to be your wedded wife, to love her, honor and keep her, in good times and in bad; in sickness and in health; for richer, for poorer; forsaking all others; till death do you part?"

"I do."

The glowing bride said the same.

Their smiles were immeasurable. Access was grinning from ear to ear, standing off at the side. Emil's sharp features were adorned with a gentle grin, his lithe body donning a black leather suit, like he would normally wear, though it was more fit to the occasion. He had even cut his ponytail off. Angel looked stunningly beautiful in her flowing black dress, her long dark blue hair recently washed and shimmering a bit in the dim light of the church, long enough to reach her knees now. She still wore the broken cross, but besides that, she had no jewelry on, despite her family's history. They were not rich people, but they made do with what they had, happy to be together, finally and officially united.

"So now, if it is your desire to join yourselves as husband and wife, I ask that you join right hands as you repeat your vows." The priest before them said.

Emil's enchanting violet purple gaze locked with Angel's shining indigo orbs. Their eyes never parted from their one true love's.

"I, Emil, take you, Angel, to be my wife. I promise to love you with all my heart; to comfort you, nourish you and uphold you with my strength. I will cherish you till the end of our days."

"I, Angel, take you, Emil, to be my husband. I promise to love you with all my heart; to comfort you, nourish you and uphold you with my strength. I will cherish you till the end of our days."

"Do we have the rings?" Access handed two rings to the priest, who in turn gave them to the couple. "This wedding ring is an outward sign of an inward commitment. May these rings be to you a constant and loving reminder of the ties that bind you together as husband and wife," He turned to the redhead first, "Emil, please look into the eyes of your beloved. Place the ring on Angel's finger and repeat after me: _this ring is a seal, upon all that I have promised. With this ring, I thee wed._"

Emil slipped the silvery white gold ring onto Angel's slender finger. "This ring is a seal, upon all that I have promised. With this ring, I thee wed." He said gently, almost whispering.

The priest turned to the dark-haired woman next to him. "Angel, please look into Emil's eyes. Place the ring on his hand and say: _this ring is a seal, upon all that I have promised. Wear it with joy, for your love has made me complete. With this ring, I thee wed._"

She squeezed his hand gently after his finger slid into the ring. Her smile grew, if that was possible. "This ring is a seal, upon all that I have promised. Wear it with joy, for your love has made me complete. With this ring, I thee wed."

"We close with a final blessing for your marriage. Now you will feel no rain, for each of you will be shelter to the other. Now you will feel no cold, for each of you will be warmth to the other. Now there is no more loneliness, for each of you will be companion to the other. Now you are two bodies, but there is only one life before you. You will go to your dwelling place to enter into the days of your togetherness. And may your days be good and long upon the earth."

"Emil and Angel, by the vows you have made to one another, by the strength of your covenant, and in the presence of God… it is my pleasure to pronounce you 'Husband and Wife'. You may seal your unity with a kiss."

The young couple's lips met, soft against firm, both spouses giving to each other feelings of gentleness and love.

Access cheered behind them, clapping childishly and shouting, "Amen to that!"

His elder brother and his new sister broke their kiss, looking over to him and laughing with him. They thanked the priest, and Emil scooped Angel up into his arms, carrying her out of the chapel. Access left them after that, knowing that they wanted some time alone for their first moments as Mr. and Mrs. Emil Niwa.

With was supposed to take them back to their little home, but instead, he took them to the field they used to play in as children. Angel was confused when he set her down, but when she saw Emil's charming boyish grin, she knew that he had planned this.

"Angel Niwa… will you spend today with me?" He asked, a certain mischievousness in his voice as he held out his hand to her.

His blushing bride giggled, putting her hand in his. "Of course, my little phantom thief."

He pulled her close, their fingers entwining and his other hand snaking around to the small of her back.

"Emil, there's no music." She laughed as he pulled her back and forth in a dance.

"So? Let's just… dance." Emil leaned in, whispering, "And then, we can…"

Angel chuckled. "You're devious, Emil."

"…And? Aren't I always, Ange?" Emil laughed, only holding his wife closer. "Besides, after tonight… we're getting out of this place. We'll leave that old shack behind and make a new home in Japan… a bigger one. We'll get a place where we can have a family."

The blue-haired woman blushed, looking up at her husband almost shyly, but her face was bold. "Emil… have you ever dreamed about having a family?"

"…Of course. Once we're married, let's have a few kids and maybe raise them to be… well, anything but a thief, right? I know you don't like it that much."

"I can understand it now."

"Right. And I know that if I had children, I'd never abandon them willingly." He gave her a soft smile. "If I had a son… or even two… or even a daughter, I would never want them to feel what we felt."

"Funny. When we were kids, you never told me any of this." Angel commented.

"I thought you felt the same way." His smile grew into a grin, "Heck, let's adopt too. I've never thought about being adopted, but… kids that are chosen to be fostered must feel a great amount of relief."

"Emil. When I was nearly adopted that one time, you threw a fit and scared the couple off." Angel reminded him, laughing, "But you might be right. Honestly, back then, I was a little excited at the prospect of a new family… but I was also really scared to death."

"…Because you didn't want to forget your old one?" Emil said slowly.

"No, because I was afraid that I would never see you again." Angel leaned up on her tip toes, kissing her redheaded thief. "Let's… start over then, with our new family."

This would have been the perfect time to tell him her secret, but Emil captured her lips and didn't let her go, pushing her to the ground gently. When he did, it was so sudden that she didn't have time to realize that she could speak.

"Let's create a family then."

They lay together in the fields of their childhood until the sun set.

* * *

On the night of his wedding, Emil prepared to set off on his last heist. Angel had had a bad feeling about it, and begged him not to go. But this was his final heist, and after that, he could say goodbye to that life for the time being. This one last Hikari art was the only thing he needed before he could leave _Kaitou Dark_ behind and start his new life with Angel.

He had been waiting all year for this moment. Angel had convinced Access to stay with her, at least, but she was worried. The bad feeling she had gotten the day before had only been growing. He simply gave her a kiss and told her goodnight when she told him about it.

But… he hadn't _promised_ that he would be alright.

Clad in the black collared cloak she had made for him, he took flight on his wings of black. She watched his silhouette disappear as it passed the brightly glowing moon and her hands came to her womb, holding it gently. As she watched the night she had once been so afraid of, her thumbs caressed her slightly swollen belly as she prayed on the life of her baby that he would be okay.

Little did she know that that would be the last time that they would speak.


	10. Incomplete Failure

It had taken an effort of many months, almost a year, for Hikari to bring his masterpiece into its final stages. By using his forbidden technique and treating it as though it were the last piece of "art" in the world… the artwork was close to completion.

The _Kokuyoku_.

It should have been completed.

He put the final strokes of paint on his canvas. He put down his paint brush, about to chant the spell needed to awaken the beast he had created. But then, small footsteps were heard. The moment Hikari was about to breathe life into that last work of art, a smiling figure approached.

At that very moment, the phantom thief made his appearance.

His crimson violet eyes widened as he gazed upon the grandeur work of art before him. The Hikari boy turned around, his eyes bloodshot and insane with the notion that he was about to create the perfect being.

The blue-haired artist knew his half-hidden face immediately, even in the veil of shadows.

The red-haired thief could feel exactly what he was about to do. He couldn't steal that thing. He had to _destroy_ it.

A phantom wind blew as Hikari realized what Emil was there for. He abandoned all else. He had to save his masterpiece.

His body was weak from weeks of malnutrition, but he was running on pure adrenaline. He dashed towards the young thief in fury, his hand outstretched. An orb of light formed at the tips of his fingers.

_Magic?!_ Emil's eyes became wide and alert. He called up his own magic, his fingers pointed towards his target. It was not Hikari, but the _Kokuyoku_.

Hikari rammed into the phantom thief with all of his might, calling forth all his powers when he was supposed to use them to perform the ritual to bring the art to life.

Emil's eyes widened and his teeth clenched in pain as the air was knocked out of him. Hikari's unstable magic felt as though it were ripping him apart, piece by piece, burning his body alive. His legs felt numbed and on fire at the same time, as if they had been amputated. He could see pieces of his gloves rip from the force and black feathers fly around him as if his wings had molted. Wait, With had already flown back… Oh. Those weren't feathers; they were the shreds of his cloak.

His whole body pulsed. Hikari's was shroud in an evil white light, his form invisible but _there_. How? Was it… the moonlight?

When the light faded, his pain-filled, blood-colored eyes locked with the menacing, crazed gold ones of his adversary. He managed one last burst of magic to throw him away.

He could see the _Kokuyoku_ radiating magic. His vision was becoming faint and blurred.

"Hi… ka…" Emil's last words came in broken, incomplete stutters, "Wha… t… have you… d…!?"

Hikari growled and crouched in the place he had landed. He saw it, the black cross on the ground, sharp at the edges. He could use it to finish the phantom thief Dark. He grasped at it desperately, his gaze shifting quickly. His teeth gritted in pain, determined to meet his goal before his death. He was just about to complete the ritual. The light from the art piece blinded him so much that he had to cover his eyes.

"Niwa…!!"

The magical energy intended to breathe life into the _Kokuyoku_ lost its destination, going out of control.

Their souls were ripped apart as it took the form of a _curse_.

The ceremony was only half completed… but it wasn't unsuccessful in its own way.

All was quiet and still in the ruins of the home of the "mirror" that stood before them, tall and strong… and cracked at the edges like a broken heart. Unholy magic leaked around the room.

The red-haired man lay on the ground with his eyes closed, the dark magic that he had wielded dancing around his skin as a single tear shed for his forgotten life. His wings had been torn from his back. He could no longer see his angel.

The blue-haired man slumped against a collapsed pillar, his bangs shadowing his eyes and his hand falling limply to his side. The black cross in his palm sparked the light of magic, the veins on his hand blue and webbing across his arm.

At that place, the curse manifested itself within the unmoving bodies of the artist and the thief. It fell upon both the Hikari and the Niwa.

The young man who started it all… never fully understood the full extent of his powers.

The _Kokuyoku_ had come to life in a way its creator could have never imagined it.

* * *

Angel screamed. Suddenly a jolt had run through her chest and her breathing hitched, an unbearable pain overwhelming her. She clutched her heart tightly, her eyes widening as she quickly realized why she was hurting so abruptly.

"Sis?! Hey, sis, what's wrong?" Access asked in concern, running over to her and supporting her. With, who had jumped in surprise by her sudden yelp, _kyuu_'ed in worry as well.

"Emil… Emil!" She breathed, her mind lost to the dreading feeling she had had all day.

"Ange? What about Emil?" Her fourteen-year-old brother-in-law tried to sound soothing as she began to hyperventilate.

Her other hand came to her stomach, suddenly feeling a little sick. Horror struck her face as she thought about the possibilities of what could have happened to her husband.

"Emil…!"

* * *

_Kaitou Dark_… never made it home.


	11. Agonizing Loneliness

For many months, Angel cried alone. The pain from that night had receded, but she could still feel it. Yet, she prayed and hoped and told herself that Emil was alright… so much that at one point in time she began to truly believe it.

Access discovered her secret sooner than later, and began to worry about her health. But she kept giving him a smile in the day, telling him that she was alright and that the baby was fine. She wished with all her heart, though, that Emil would come home and see her.

At night, Access would go out to look for his brother with the black wings on his back. But _Dark_ had long ago gone missing. Angel couldn't help but think that every day, Access was growing to look more and more like the young man Emil had been.

When he was gone, she would cry. She stopped sleeping at night, afraid that she would have nightmares.

"Please don't leave me, too, Emil…. You promised. You promised you would stay with me. We were supposed to go to Japan together…! You were supposed to create a family with me!" She sobbed quietly to her altar in the corner of the room, "I told you not to go… Why didn't you listen to me?"

"You can't be dead. You said that you didn't want your children to feel like we did. Prove me wrong, my little phantom thief! They all think… you're not here anymore…!"

"You said you would protect me from the dark…. I'm afraid. I need you. I can't live by myself… I can't raise this baby by myself…! Why are you leaving me alone like this? I miss you… Please come home, Emil…."

"Won't you come home? That will be the best gift I could ever receive. I just want to see your face again…"

Alone in the night, no one would hear her pleas.

"I love you. I need you to be here, now…."

* * *

Long before the baby was due, news had spread throughout the town that _Dark_ had been spotted flying in the night. He hadn't stolen anything, he was simply… flying.

Angel was confused. That was impossible. Maybe it was Access? But even when he stayed home, realizing that Angel was by herself every night when she was afraid of the dark, the sightings were reported.

How? With was with them. Emil couldn't have grown his own wings.

Despite all of the mysteries and how suspicious it was, it gave her hope. Emil was alive.

Many months later, her son was born. She named him Alaric, whispering lullabies of ruling the skies. She was disappointed that Emil hadn't come home to see his birth. Deep in her heart she was still pained by the fact that he was gone, and her precious little boy, the last gift he had given her, cried as their feelings connected.

"Emil, can you see me? Are you watching, like you always do?" She whispered as she lay in bed one night, cradling Alaric. "This is your son… He misses you too. Will you come meet him?"

Loneliness consumed her.

* * *

Almost a year after Emil's disappearance, Angel finally decided to find him herself. Access had tried, but he had made no progress. Taking With along with her, and entrusting her beloved son to Access, she set off.

Access watched her leave in worry, sadness, and hurt. His nephew squirmed and cried in his arms, wishing for his mother.

She told him and she told herself a lie she thought was truth. A determined fire burned in her eyes.

"I'm sorry. I'm going to go bring your father home, Alaric. Please smile for us when we get back."


	12. Endless Pain

Angel had never used With as her own wings before. But this would be her first and only time.

He took hold of her back, her hair flying wildly in the night air. Her eyes scanned the darkness.

Their first stop was the last place the phantom thief had been. The art studio that now stood in ruins.

Angel landed with a light tap of her toe. With returned to her shoulder, and she pet him idly. She looked around as With hissed at their surroundings. It reeked of old magic and the work of devils. The paintings against the wall were all knocked over and in strange disarrays, the sculptures in the corner chipped and crumbled. Across the way, leaning against the farthest wall, was a gargantuan black mirror.

A cold shadow passed against her neck, and she turned around in surprise. "Emil?"

There was nothing there. A shiver ran down her spine as With hissed madly. "Shh, calm down, With…. It's just… the wind. Yeah, the wind…" She whispered soothingly.

She turned around to proceed further into the room. She blinked, catching the moon's light on the wooden floor. It was littered with black feathers… and white.

"White feathers…?" She knelt down, picking one up. She looked up quickly at an abrupt flapping sound. "Who's there?!"

"Kyuu!" With motioned with his head.

There was a figure standing in front of the huge cracked mirror. She gasped, and in a flash she was on her feet. Her eyes were wide in disbelief.

"Emil…?" She breathed, stepping closer and closer, the feathers parting around her feet.

"…Who… are you?"

She stopped dead in her tracks, her indigo blue eyes hazed over with dry tears. She would know his voice anywhere. But this man before her… his hair was as dark as the shadow magic that surrounded him, his crimson violet eyes were void of any emotions, and behind him, great black wings sprouted from his back.

…And when he asked that question in the voice she had fallen in love with, something within her shattered.

There was a little flutter. His wings spread, feathers raining from above as he did so, and one of the beautiful appendages came around and hugged his arm.

This was not Emil. This was… _Dark_.

His expression changed, like his voice. It was curious, and almost… heartbroken. There was something in his eyes that told her that he did recognize her… if only a little.

He was lonely. He had no memories to make him smile.

She dared to step closer. Hesitantly her hand reached out. His moved as well, slow and unsure. Angel then realized… that he was not actually standing in front of her. This man was standing on the other side of the mirror.

Her eyes widened again before her expression softened and carefully, she let her hand rest on the rough but smooth surface of the mirror. It was cold, and it gave her a feeling of fright and utter brokenness, but he put his hand against hers, and in an instant she was filled with warmth instead. She felt like she was with Emil again… as if he were giving her the lifetime of memories she had made with him. She felt close to this mysterious reflection of the past and the future, yet so far away, as they were separated by an inky black wall of clear glass.

"Who are you?" He asked again, a question so simple yet so devastating. His voice was deep and mature, but there was a certain tone of innocence and naivety in his mannerisms.

"I… I am Angel." She answered softly, though it pained her to have to say those three simple words to the love of her life.

"Who am I?" He asked, as if she were his mother and savior, here to give him his memory and his life back.

This… it was not Emil anymore, she told herself once more.

"You… are… _Dark_." She responded hesitantly, overflowing with melancholy.

"_Dark_…" He echoed, like a child learning his first words.

She wanted to cry. She wanted to be able to touch him and kiss him and hold him once more… but she knew that it was impossible. This wasn't her husband… it wasn't Emil.

She didn't want to believe it. She hadn't had enough _time_ with her beloved husband. She just wanted one last chance to love him.

But suddenly she had lost all hope.

"…What are those called?"

"…Tears." Angel sniffled a little. Her eyes were stinging. She hadn't realized that she had started crying, but she knew what he was asking as she stared into his unwavering gaze.

"Angel's… Tears?" He inquired, staring at her with eyes that reflected her sadness. These were the eyes she had fallen into, the eyes that had trapped her and caged her in the love of its owner.

"…Yes. My tears." Angel wiped her eyes with the back of her other hand.

She didn't say anything else, standing still and quiet for the rest of the night. He stayed silent as well, staring at her as if trying to identify her in his nonexistent memories.

That was, until With hissed angrily at something behind her, jumping off her shoulder.

The winged man's eyes widened, and for the first time, the blue-haired woman saw fear in his eyes. No, it was not the kind of fear that was like the one that would appear when she saw a fire. It was a different kind of fear… almost like the fear of losing someone close to his heart. Angel stiffened, turning around when she felt the cold presence behind her again.

She was stopped when she felt a familiar grip on her hand. She froze.

The man who she now faced had golden hair that shone white in the moonlight, and yellow eyes that seemed as evil as a black cat's. His smile was as cold as a winter wind and frighteningly sadistic. Behind him, pure white wings glowed with an evil light.

_White feathers…!_

He gave a low chuckle, his hand bearing a fiery orb of light. She couldn't move. With tackled him, but he was simply slapped aside, the man unfazed.

The man in the mirror felt a familiar magic in the air. He had felt this magic when he was "born". The homicidal blonde before him only wished to make him miserable, didn't he?

Without thinking and with only the wish to save this woman… he shouted her name. In the split moment she glanced back and their gazes met, he took a tight hold on her hand and pulled her into his mirror.

Everything fell apart in that one moment.

Her scream filled the empty air, but her mouth had only moved to form one phrase that only the phantom thief could see.

_"I love you."_

The moment her body crossed into the magical world beyond the reflection, she had vanished, only a warm light in the purple-haired man's arms. A bright star appeared in his eternal night.

The room glowed with chaotic life.

And suddenly, it was clear to him as his eyes shed _her_ tears and he held "nothing" close to him. He would never get a chance to stroke her navy blue hair, or touch her luscious pink lips, or feel her warmth against him. Never again, for the pain in his blackened heart told him the truth that she had known about him all along, deep in her broken soul.

Angel was dead.

* * *

No one noticed the glowing, blank white canvas among the piles of ghost Hikari arts.


	13. Afterwards: Return of Dark

Access had been waiting for Angel to come home for a day… a week… a year… and soon, he realized that she was never coming back.

Alone at fourteen, he was forced to grow into an adult and take care of his brother's son. He never once thought of going back to the orphanage for any reason.

He left his naïve, mischievous nature behind for the most part, struggling to survive. He never cried for his losses.

He lived this way for many years, raising Alaric with no one's help.

Occasionally, he went to Angel's altar and asked a god he had long ago abandoned one question.

"Why?"

* * *

Fourteen years passed, and Alaric Niwa never knew the truth behind his parents. All he knew was that they died when he was young.

He was raised as a phantom thief by his Uncle Access, learning from him the art of magic and thievery. Many years before, the cave full of Hikari arts had been found and emptied, and now, the arts were loose in the world once more for him to steal.

Access had grown to be a handsome young man, the splitting image of his brother, and the likely mirror of him had he been alive to grow to that age. Eventually his will to cause trouble had returned to him, and he became _Dark_ once more.

However, they had no idea what was in store for them when Alaric turned fourteen.

On his birthday, a pain entered his chest that night as he dreamed of the girl he liked. He was simply getting a little rest before his heist.

When he opened his eyes, he was no longer "Alaric", but a tall, lithe young man with purple hair.

Access stared in shock when his nephew came to him in the middle of the night, screaming in confusion.

"Emil…!"

Confusion marred his new face. Access took a moment to compose himself, and when he realized that it was not his brother, sat himself down to figure out the problem.

He put his hand on "Alaric's" forehead, honing the abilities he had learned from his elder brother. "Why did you change like this?"

"I… I don't know." Alaric admitted. His voice was still cracking from puberty, immature and nervous. "I was having a dream and then there was this pain… and I woke up like this."

"What was the dream about?" He asked seriously.

"Um… well…" Alaric blushed furiously. He thought about the subject of the dream and his face became as red as the color of his hair.

"Alaric… it wasn't about that girl again, was it…?" Access lifted an eyebrow.

The boy's face was deep maroon. Access sighed, watching as his nephew stutter incomprehensibly. He frowned when he suddenly stopped, staring blankly ahead.

"Alaric?"

The transformed young man's crimson gaze shifted. The dark orbs suddenly looked more serious as he stood up.

His voice was deeper and far more mature. "My name is _Dark_."

Access stared incredulously. "_Dark_? But…"

"Kyuu!" With scampered up, nuzzling the purple-haired man's leg.

He looked down. "…Hi there, little guy. You… look familiar…" He picked up the small white rabbit, petting him.

"…_Dark_, right? Where did you come from?" Access asked slowly, his gaze unmoving.

"The black mirror, _Kokuyoku_." _Dark_ answered simply. "Black Wings. That Hikari's art."

_Hikari art? Then… he's… an art come to life? No… that's not it…_.

"…Where is Alaric?" Access asked in worry.

"He's screaming at me in my head. Hey, do you know why I'm in his body?" _Dark_ asked, looking up at him. "He's bugging me about it. It's kind of annoying."

"Um, well…" Access frowned, "I don't know much, but I think you're a Hikari art that manifested by possessing him."

"Yeah, I figured that, but why did I possess _him_?"

Access thought hard, his face contorting in concentration. "…What do you remember?" He asked after a while.

"Huh? What's that got to do with anything?" _Dark_ gave him a look.

"Just answer the question." Access sighed a bit. _If I'm right, then…_

"Well… from the moment I woke up, I remember fighting this white winged guy. I think he named himself… _Krad_." _Dark_ said thoughtfully.

"_Krad_? White wings? Why were you fighting him? Wait, _named himself_? Did you name yourself too?" Access asked endlessly.

"Hey, shut up for a sec. I don't know why we were fighting, but we were… 'born' in the same 'world'. All I know is that he hates me… and something about being incomplete without me. I have no idea." _Dark_ said, shrugging, "I have… black wings. And… I didn't name myself. We used to call each other _Kokuyoku_… but about a year after we were 'born'… this… _girl_ came. I had never seen anyone but Krad before, but I thought… she knew something about me. And when I asked her who I was… she told me my name was _Dark_."

"…What was her name?" Access asked, suddenly anxious. _Dark_ looked… sad. Distantly so, but he still looked sad, as if he was sorry for something. The purple-haired thief gave the answer Access dreaded most.

"Angel."

His breath hitched. _Ange… Sis…_

"What… what happened to her?" The older looking man asked hesitantly.

"She… disappeared." _Dark_ looked down, as if ashamed. "Do you… know her?"

Access frowned. This was what he feared the most. With _kyuu_'ed sadly, putting his small paws on _Dark_'s chest and touching his nose to _Dark_'s.

"Is Alaric listening?"

"Eh? Um, yeah, he's kind of confused up there…"

"Then this is the truth he's always wanted to hear." Access took a deep breath, leaning forward and folding his hands on the table, his face serious in all ways, "_Kaitou Dark_ was the name my brother and I shared when we were young. Later on, my sister, Angel, became the third member of _Dark_."

"And…? What does that have to do with…"

"Do you know who Hikari is?"

_Dark_ was silent for a while. "…No. I hear the others talk about him, though. He is our creator. That's all I know about him."

"Yes… And he is the man whom we have been investigating for over twenty years." Access nodded, "Angel was our scout. She talked to him often… and she found out that his aim in life was to give up his to his art. And he had done it. The proof is in the art we have in our vault. They _are_ alive. We don't know how to reverse it. But anyway… for a while, we were stumped, trying to figure out what deal he made with the Devil to gain his technique. But now, I think I understand. Hey, _Krad_'s eyes were gold, right?" He inquired. If his theory was right, then his eyes had to be the same…

"Yeah… but… what do you understand?" _Dark_ inquired. He was now thoroughly confused.

"You cannot give a life… without some sort of equivalent exchange. For every baby that is born, somewhere in the world, an old man dies." Access sounded far wiser than his age, "It works the same for Hikari's arts. To give them life, Hikari must have been taking ghosts left on the world and letting their vengeful spirits become living monsters."

"So you're saying…"

"Emil."

_Dark_ blinked. "Emil?"

"That was my brother's name. He… _vanished_ over fourteen years ago." The redhead said solemnly.

"…I…"

The man across from him nodded. "The _Kokuyoku_ was the artwork Hikari was working on before he disappeared as well. I have no doubt that something happened that night… that caused his soul, and my brother's, to warp into that one work of art… and become you, _Dark_, and the other 'you', _Krad_."

"Okay… then… how does Angel tie into this? And why do I now possess this kid?"

"Well… I don't know why you possessed Alaric… yet. However, Angel…" Alaric looked down, becoming sad, "She was Emil's wife of one day. She… disappeared trying to find him."

_Dark_ looked remorseful. He knew what had happened to her. Suddenly he realized where he had seen With before. The small creature had been with Angel.

"You were the last person to see her. I don't know what happened to her… and I will not ask. Maybe she's still out there, looking for 'Emil', but… now you stand here, among the other half of the _Kaitou Dark_ of the past, and within the _Kaitou Dark_ of the future." Access stared into the familiar violet eyes whose soul was lost and broken in pieces, scattered among the shattered Niwa family.

"What will you do now?"

"…I was meant to be a thief, wasn't I? _Dark_ is supposed to steal those Hikari arts and put their souls to rest? That's a great purpose." _Dark_ mused, leaning back and staring up at the ceiling, deep in thought. He didn't want to meet the other man's crimson irises. "I can figure out a way to seal them, why not. After all, I do carry the means to 'cancel out' my other half. I have no doubt that I can figure out that formula and apply it to others as well."

"Good. Then, there's one last thing." Access stood up, towering over the eternally young spirit. "The only reason a spirit would flee its haunting ground… is because there's something there to free it, or because the item its soul was attached to was moved. I think in your case, where you are a 'living art'…"

"Living monster." _Dark_ corrected, "That's what you said earlier."

"Right, whatever. The point is… in your case, something chased you out. Was it _Krad_?"

"….Yeah. He went somewhere too, a while ago. I don't know where." _Dark_ said.

_The skeleton that hides in my world…. Why does it haunt me? Can the dead be haunted?_ The thief thought, _I ran away a long time ago… because of that._

"Then… maybe you ran to the next best vessel. If it's not your art… it's probably the closest living relative." Access theorized, crossing his arms.

"Hm? Wouldn't that be you then, whatever your name is? Not your son?"

Access frowned, but went with it. "My name is Access Niwa. The boy you are possessing is Alaric Niwa." He said a bit late, "And by 'closest', I meant in age, or physique."

_Actually, I meant that he's your freaking _son_, Emil._ He thought, _But maybe it's best if I don't tell you yet. For now… Alaric, play along._ He knew that his nephew knew when to act.

"Right. Fine then, nice to meet you, Access." Dark said, almost sincerely. "I guess I'm… the one true _Kaitou Dark_, huh?"

_I am… indeed, a 'living monster'._

_

* * *

_

That night, while Alaric stayed up and thought about what he had learned, trying to let it all sink in, _Dark_ fell asleep and dreamed of a past from long ago, almost forgotten but suddenly revived.

They would later learn that the reason Alaric had inherited _Dark_ at fourteen was because _Dark_'s trigger in the boy's DNA was _love_. It was because he had, in the beginning, seen Angel's tears.

As his past returned to him, his cries of pain would overwhelm him for a long time, realizing what he had done to his one true beloved person.

His screams of mourning would haunt his son and drive him mad. And then the girl that he loved would discover his secret. She would soothe his mind and his heart, and the one true _Kaitou Dark_ would disappear once more for a whole generation.

Access was getting older and getting sadder, but he knew that there were so many things yet to be discovered. He visited his family's grave, packed up the shack, and took Alaric away from Germany with his future niece-in-law. He was going to raise him in Japan, like Emil and Angel had always wanted… because now, he knew for sure that they were no longer alive.

And it was there in Japan that they found their home in the humble little seaside town of Azumano.

…Which also happened to house the prestige art family that went by the name of Hikari.

Set on discovering their secrets, he discovered the other half of the secret of _Dark_ and _Krad_.

_Krad_ also possessed the young Hikari who was making his name in Japan.

The _Kokuyoku_ had manifested itself within the Hikari as _Krad_, and within the Niwa, it became the curse of _Dark_.

He discovered this when he saw his grandson bear _Dark_ as well.

In their separate states, they dwelled within the two families as the curse that would last generations.

Eventually, _Dark_ and _Krad_ forgot about "Emil" and "Hikari", blocked out from their memories. Soon, as their descendants began to discover the secrets of the black-winged angel and the white-winged devil that tried to cause order and chaos, over time, the two spirits evolved into the "other selves" of the boys they possessed.

And their never-ending war continued.


	14. Sins And Fears: Alive

Crying… Crying… Crying….

Loneliness consumes.

Darkness.

Forgotten… That was what she was. Frightened.

Alone… where was he? All around her, she was by herself. Her only company was herself.

Desperate.

Anger… Revenge… Hate.

Loneliness… And love. Yearning for a past long gone. She was grasping for someone who would never return.

Stuck.

Hurting, deeply in pain… Her heart ached.

Did she still have a heart? Or had she turned into a monster? Which one… was the real her?

Confused.

Torn between two halves… Trying to find a way out… She had an escape, but _she_ didn't… She didn't want her to find an escape.

They escaped.

Crying…

* * *

Smiling.

…An evil… twisted smile.

* * *

**The End**


	15. Epilogue

The soul that had been ripped in two… never quite died away. While he was passed on to the countless sons of the Niwas as a hindrance on their prosperity, he was forced to love women that he didn't care for. Eventually, he would disappear once more.

His only choice was to _be loved_. He had never seen anyone… with the courage to simply _love him back_, for truly, he had never once forgotten his Angel, even if he pushed her smiling face out of his mind. Only Angel… could have loved him the way he needed her to.

And then, when four hundred year passed, he once again met the other half of his soul.

He had never felt more complete than when he looked through the vivid red eyes of his new tamer, and felt the need to protect him more than he had ever protected anyone else, even his own son, though it was unbeknownst to him.

He saw the smiling faces that surrounded him, and for the first time in four hundred years, he gave a true smile too.

"Daisuke!"


End file.
